Darkness within
by EvilQueenRegina
Summary: What is Regina became the dark one instead of Emma? Not sure if this will be a one shot or not. Let me know if you are interested in me continuing as I would be more than happy to do so! Outlaw Queen Romance, Swan Queen Friendship and a bit of Regal Believer.
1. Chapter 1

**I just had this idea of what if Regina became the dark one instead of Emma and just had to write it. I'm not sure whether this should just be a one shot or not but if you are interested in seeing where this could go, whether Regina could cope with that amount of darkness and if the people around her could help her, then just let me know as I'd be more than happy to add to this.**

 **Those of you who have read my other stories know that I have been asking what story I should write next, Outlaw Queen, Evil Charming or Regina raising Emma and I shall be writing the story that has the most votes but I just had to write this one down as it was running through my mind.**

 **So I hope you enjoy this and let me know if you think I should continue it on :-)**

* * *

Regina and Robin had taken a walk in the moonlight, hand in hand, in a silence that was in no way awkward but content. They were just happy to be back in one another's presence, all the drama either gone or put to one side for now. For once they were happy and they hoped they were going to stay that way but of course drama is never far away in Storybrooke.

* * *

Just down the street in Mr Gold's shop drama was beginning all over again. The darkness had taken over Rumplestiltskin's heart practically killing him. The Apprentice had an idea on how to help him. He placed a box down onto the floor beside Rumplestiltskin while everyone stood back and watched.

"He tried to use the hat to free himself from the dagger." Hook said as everyone watched on.

"This is not unlike that…" The Apprentice said as he took his hands away from the small circular box with stars and a night sky on the top. "We are going to pull the darkness from him and we will contain it." The Apprentice explained.

"Does that mean that his heart will be healed?" Belle asked the worry evident on her face and in her voice. She may have banished Rumplestiltskin but she still loved him with all her heart and that would never change.

"Perhaps." The Apprentice said glancing at Belle. "If the strength is there." He looked back at Rumplestiltskin. "This is more dark power than the hat has ever been asked to contain." He said as he reached forward to Rumplestiltskin his handing resting where his dark heart lay.

"Do what you need to do." Emma uttered from behind them.

"Purest evil, blackest bloom, darkness to can find its doom." The Apprentice rhymed and he pushed his hand down into Rumplestiltskin's chest and pulled out his dark black heart from his chest. Everyone looked on, not sure what to think as they saw what the darkness had done to Rumplestiltskin's heart. The Apprentice waved his hand over the small circular box and a blue hat with silver stars on it appeared in its place. He lifted the hat up and stood up from his crouched position beside Rumplestiltskin. "Bound inside the falcons chamber, Shorn of anger, Thorn of danger, there forever to remain." The Apprentice finished and light shone out from the hat and started to pull the darkness away from Rumplestiltskin's heart.

The dagger shone a yellow light, Rumplestiltskin's name being erased from the dagger once and for all as the darkness seeped into the hat. The light of hat dimmed out and Rumplestiltskin's heart was no longer black but shone white. The Apprentice knelt down and he placed Rumplestiltskin's heart back into his chest.

"He's barely breathing…" Belle said as she placed her hands on Rumple's chest.

"Rumplestiltskin was the dark one for centuries." The Apprentice said as he stood back up. "His return to the man he used to be will not be easy." The Apprentice waved his hand over Rumplestiltskin and magic shone over him. "this will preserve him until we see if we can help him."

"If?" Belle asked worry hitting her face again.

The Apprentice was about to answer Belle's question but his gaze was drawn back to the small circular box that still lay on the floor beside Rumplestiltskin. The starry sky on the top of the box began to shine, a light fighting its way through. Everyone started to step back not sure what was going on. The box began to move on the floor, and the top of the box turned black as the darkness fought its way out from it. The essence of the dark one flew out of the box and wound itself around the Apprentice and then into his mouth. It needed to attach itself to someone. It needed someone.

Everyone watched on helplessly not sure what they could do. Emma looked around her and then down at her hands. She moved her hands out towards the Apprentice and white magic shone out of her and to the man. It hit the man and caused him to fall to the floor. Once he hit the floor the essence of the dark one flew out of him once more and headed out of the door. It needed to find someone.

"Mom! Dad! Go after it. I'll be right there." Emma said turning to Mary-Margaret and David who quickly did what their daughter said and ran out of the shop to find the dark one. She then turned to hook and crouched down by the Apprentice. "Help me make him comfortable." They lifted the Apprentice up and carried him through the back of Rumplestiltskin's shop and placed him on the bed. "What was that?" Emma asked.

"Long before…Your stories began…" The Apprentice started his breathing ragged. "The Sorcerer battled the darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming the realms and tethered it to a human soul that could be controlled with a dagger." The Apprentice explained breathlessly.

Emma glanced down at the dagger. "It's the dark one." Emma whispered as the realisation of what was lose in Storybrooke was hitting her.

"The sorcerer is the only one who has the power to destroy the darkness once and for all." The Apprentice said.

"Where is he? Who is he?" Emma asked.

"He is far, far from here." The Apprentice breathed out. "Find him…His name is…Merlin." The Apprentice revealed. "Must stop the darkness…Find Merlin…" And those were the last words of the Apprentice as his eyes drifted closed and his breathing slowed to an eventual stop.

Emma stood up and she looked towards Hook and then glanced behind her to where Henry had been sitting. Her mind was racing. The darkness was lose in Storybrooke. They needed to stop it. They needed to find the Sorcerer. The needed to find Merlin. She then looked back at Hook, dagger still in hand. "Come on we need to go." Emma said turning on her heel and heading out into the shop with Hook and Henry following behind her.

"Wait mom! What are we going to do?" Henry asked.

Emma stopped for a minute and turned to look at Henry. "We are going to find this darkness. You are going to stay here."

"No mom I want to help!" Henry said. He hated that everyone always felt they needed to keep him away from the danger. He had just saved them all from being stuck in the book again yet still they wanted to protect him from the danger. He wanted to help!

"No Henry stay here!" Emma called back as she turned back on her heel and rushed out of the shop with Hook following her.

Henry sighed and he looked around him. Belle was still crouched down beside Rumple, all her focus on him she would never notice if Henry just left so that is what he did following behind Emma and Hook. He was going to help.

* * *

Regina and Robin had stopped by the park and were now sat on a bench. Regina was resting against Robin who had his arm around her shoulders and Regina had her head resting on Robin. Regina smiled, loving the fact she was cuddled up with Robin again. Maybe her happy ending was finally working out for her. She looked up at the night sky, the stars shining like little diamonds scattered on a blue velvet, the moon lighting up the world around them. It was quite romantic for the moment she guessed.

"What you thinking about?" Robin uttered into the night, his arm wrapping round Regina a little tighter as a breeze blew past them.

"Just that I am so happy to be in your arms again." Regina replied softly.

"I feel the same my love." Robin said and he placed a kiss to the side of her head inhaling the sweet smell of Regina's hair. The smell he had missed so much. He had dreamt of being with her again. His dreams had been plagued with Regina from the moment he had left Storybrooke and he always did wonder if he would see the wonderful woman he had fallen in love with ever again.

Regina smiled and cuddled into Robin a little more. They let a silence take over them, not an awkward one but a content one. Both happy to just be in one another's arms. A breeze swept over them again but this time it felt different, darker. Feeling this Regina sat up, pulling out of Robin's arms a little and frowning as she looked around them. Something didn't feel right. Something felt off. Very off.

"What's the matter Regina?" Robin asked, worry showing on his face as he glanced around them too wondering what Regina was looking for.

"Something feels…off…" Regina said slowly as she continued to look around her.

"Off? What do you mean?" Robin asked her.

"I don't know. I just got this feeling. Something doesn't feel right." Regina said as she stood up from the bench and looked up to the sky. "Maybe we should go back and see if everything is okay…"

Robin stood from the bench and placed his hands on Regina's upper arms making her look up at him. He could see a trace of worry in Regina's eyes. "If it would make you feel better then that is what we will do."

Regina gave Robin a small smile and she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. "Your too good for me." She whispered softly.

"Never too good for you mi'lady. I think it's the other way around." Robin replied and Regina smiled at him. She then moved out of his arms and placed her hand into his and linked her fingers with his.

They headed back, into the towns streets and that is where they saw Mary-Margaret, David, Emma and Hook standing at the cross roads of main street looking around them with looks of panic on their faces. "Come on." Regina said gently pulling on Robin's hand as they headed towards the group. She pulled her hand out of Robins as they got closer. "Hey, what's going on?" Regina asked as they reached the group.

"The dark one is no longer tethered to the crocodile." Hook explained as they all continued to look around them to try and find the darkness.

"What?!" Regina asked an edge of panic in her voice. She had known something was wrong. She had sensed it. "Where the hell is it?" Regina asked joining the group in looking around the area around them.

Emma's eyes scanned the area and a realisation hit her. "It hasn't gone anywhere. The darkness…it's surrounding us…" She muttered.

Regina frowned and she looked up to the sky. She could hear something. She was quite sure what it was. A dark mast was edging towards her and Regina gasped as it got closer and closer, moving towards her. It reached out like vines or branches and wrapped itself around her, pulling her away from the group and over to the side. It twisted around her like a tornado taking over her and essentially sucking out whatever lightness she had within her.

"Regina!" Robin shouted. "What is it doing?" He shouted looking over to Emma and the rest of them.

"It's snuffing out the light…" Emma said as they stood and watched the darkness surrounding Regina.

"Well I'm not gonna let it!" Robin said as he ran towards Regina and the darkness but as he reached her it was as if he hit an invisible wall and he was shot backwards flying back to the ground.

"That's not gonna work on this thing!" Emma shouted over to him as Robin pushed himself up off of the ground. "We have to do what the Sorcerer did. We have to tether it to a person." Emma said.

"How do we do that?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Emma looked around them. Her mind was working on over drive as she tried to figure it all out. She needed to help Regina. She couldn't let the darkness take her over. She had worked too hard for her happiness and in one swift move it could be destroyed. The darkness could take over Regina again.

"Mom!" Henry shouted from behind them.

"Henry I told you to stay in the shop." Emma shouted over to him.

"The dagger!" Henry shouted ignoring what Emma had said. "Someone needs to use the dagger to draw the darkness into them." Henry motioned towards the dagger that was lying inches from where Regina and the darkness stood. Emma glanced towards it and decided to ignore the fact that Henry hadn't listened to her for now. Her son was right. The dagger was the only way to tether the darkness to a person.

All the while Regina had been watching and listening to everyone as the darkness surrounded her and worked its way into her. Her eyes went to the dagger and then up to Emma and she knew by the look on Emma's face what Emma was going to do and she knew she couldn't let that happen. Emma had thought with the potential darkness in her and Regina knew she would not handle the darkness of the dark one well. Her eyes went to Robin and to Henry who was stood beside him. She didn't want her happiness to go but maybe this just wasn't meant to be for her.

She leaned forward fighting through the darkness to get to the dagger. Emma saw what Regina was going and stepped forward. "Regina no!" Emma shouted causing everyone to look back over. "There has to be another way. You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed!"

"Mom don't do it!" Henry shouted stepping forward to stand beside Emma.

"You believed in me once Henry…you all did…you helped me out of the darkness once…you need to help me do it again." Regina said, the darkness whipping around. She was beginning to find it harder and harder to breath as it worked its way into her.

"Regina…" Robin said as he stepped forward beside Henry.

Regina looked at Henry and Robin and she uttered "I love you…" And with that she shot her arm up and raised the dagger into the air. Blue lightening forked out from the darkness as it hit the dagger and it started to stop twisting round Regina like a tornado but wind round her arm like vines moving down her body as it took her over.

Everyone looked on as the darkness truly took over Regina and Regina gasped as she felt it work its way into her. The feeling something like she had never felt before. It was nothing like the first time darkness had worked its way into her life. This was something completely different. Regina looked over to Henry and Robin, her eyes pleading with them to help her and save her. To not let the darkness take her over completely. To figure out a way to get her out of this.

The darkness wound round her, blocking her view and then her breath hitched. It was almost done. She could feel it and then everything went black and the darkness disappeared along with Regina the dagger landing with a clatter on the road. Henry was the first to move and he slowly walked over to the dagger lying on the ground.

He looked down at it and in black writing on the dagger read - Regina Mills

Confirming to everyone who the new dark one was.


	2. Chapter 2

**So because I got such a good response by so many wanting me to continue this story I thought well why not?! I would like to thank everyone so far for your favorites, follows and reviews. You all keep my writing spirit up! I always thought in the show, like a reviewer said, that Emma becoming the dark one was a predictable move especially with her fighting off her potential darkness etc although I am interested with where they are going to go with it I still found it a little predictable but we will see where they take us. In this we have some Henry trying to get to grips with what has happened and Emma trying to comforting him in the best way we can, we have our first look of Regina as the dark one and her struggle (I hope I have portrayed her in a way you think she would be if she had become the dark one) and then we have some Robin struggling with what has happened. So I hope you all enjoy it :-)**

* * *

Everyone just stood for a moment and stared down at the dagger lying on the ground. No one knew what to say or do next. Henry couldn't take his eyes off the black writing on the dagger. His mom was the Dark One. His mom who had worked so hard to fight against the darkness inside of her had now become the Dark One. He knew she done it to save Emma but he couldn't help but think she hadn't done it. He let out a big sigh and leaned down and picked up the dagger holding it in his hands he continued to stare down at it.

Emma stepped forward and she placed a hand on Henry's shoulder and looked down at the dagger herself. "Should we call for her?" Henry whispered not taking his eyes off the dagger.

"I…I think it might be best to wait just now kid…" Emma replied slowly.

"But…" Henry started.

"Kid what has just happened…well your mom will probably need some space…" Emma replied.

"We don't even know where she has gone." Henry said quietly. "What if she needs help?"

Robin stepped forward and placed his hand on Henry's other shoulder making Henry look over at him. "Henry we will help your mother I promise you that but right now I think Emma might be right. We should give your mother a bit of space. We can call for her tomorrow, what about that?" Robin said hoping to comfort the boy.

Henry sighed but nodded his head all the same. He knew they were right but right at this moment all he wanted was his mother.

* * *

Regina appeared in a cloud of purple smoke in her vault, crashing to the floor. She took a minute and then pushed herself up off the floor and walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall of her vault. looking at her reflection. She looked darker. Her eyes seemed to look blacker, and she noted that she actually looked more tired and it had only been a few minutes. She was relieved that her skin had not changed to that horrible gold scaly skin that Rumplestiltskin had had in the Enchanted Forest but still she hated how she looked. Her reflection right now reminded her of who she used to be. It reminded her of the Evil Queen that she had tried so hard to distance herself from and with that a sob escaped her mouth.

Her hand covered her mouth and she fell to the floor and rested against the wall just letting the tears flow out. she pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees and she cried her heart out. Her now blackened heart was the first thing she thought which just made her cry even more. She had fought so hard to get out of the darkness. It had been a long hard road but she had fought through it and she had finally been feeling as if she was getting somewhere once she had defeated Zelena with light magic. Light magic that she had brought forth. She had thought she had gotten rid of the darkness within her. She could feel the darkness within her, working its way through her. The power she now felt was overwhelming and she could feel the start of a migraine working.

She had thought she held a lot of power beforehand but now she knew her power was in adequate compared to what Rumplestiltskin had had. She had felt powerful before but now she felt as if she would be invincible and that was a scary thing to feel. For someone who had let darkness take over them once it was incredibly scary to feel that way. She was trying hard to fight against this darkness in her now. She didn't want to let this Dark One take over her completely. She didn't want to be another Rumplestiltskin. To only care about power and to push away the ones she loved. She didn't want to lose Henry, or Robin and Roland. She couldn't bear to think of her life without them, especially Henry. She had only just really gained his full trust again. She had only really just started to truly bond with her son again and now this had happened. She had become the Dark One.

But she had done it to protect Emma. She had to. She couldn't have let this darkness consume Emma because that is exactly what it would have done, consume her, drown her. She had felt great darkness before. Emma, despite what she may think, hadn't felt true darkness before and Regina wasn't so sure if Emma would have been able to fight this. Emma had struggled to fight off her potential darkness over the past few months and Regina was sure this would have just pushed Emma over the edge and she couldn't have let that happen. But it doesn't mean she can't feel angry right? Or in some way regretful…

She shakes her head. No she shouldn't feel that way. She needs to push down any angry feelings she may have. She can't let anger run through her. The darkness would just feed off that and would take over her quicker. She had learnt that the first time round.

She could hear the darkness within her, whispering to her. A dark whispering voice in her head telling her things she didn't want to hear or believe.

 _They don't care about you._

 _They won't help you Regina._

 _Just let the darkness in Regina. You know you want to._

 _Remember how it felt to be powerful? Remember how it felt to be strong?_

Regina shook her head and placed her hands over her ears although she wasn't sure why because she knew there was no one else but herself in this vault. She knew the voice was just in her head. But she just wanted to block it out. She just wanted it to go away. She didn't want these thoughts in her head. She wanted to trust in the people she loved. She wanted to believe they would save her.

But the voice repeated things over and over to her and Regina could only hope that she was strong enough this time to not listen to the darkness that was fighting within her.

* * *

Emma had brought Henry back to the loft with herself, Mary-Margaret an David. Mary-Margaret and David had collected Neal from Granny on the way back and were now getting him ready for bed while Emma and Henry sat in the living room, just staring at the TV that wasn't on. Robin had gone back to his camp, to go and see Roland and to try and rest before they started work on helping Regina in the morning but they all knew that none of them would sleep that night.

Henry let out a sigh and Emma glanced over at him. She could see that he wanted to cry but was stopping himself, wanting to seem strong and put together and she immediately thought of Regina. Emma noted that Henry really was a lot like Regina even if they weren't related by blood. She leaned over a little and placed a hand on Henry's knee and gave if a small squeezing trying to be comforting but knowing she probably wasn't doing the best of jobs. Regina was always better at the comforting. Regina always knew what to do or say in moments where Henry needed comforting.

"We will fix this Henry. I promise you." Emma said softly.

"How?" Henry asked quietly.

"I-I'm not sure but we will. I am not going to stop until we fix this. We aren't going to let darkness take over your mother again okay?" Emma said.

Henry nodded his head, continuing to stare at the TV. "I'm…" Henry started but stopped quickly.

"Go on. What were you going to say." Emma said.

"I'm scared mom isn't going to be able to stop this Dark One from taking over the light part she has fought for. She had tried so hard to fight against the darkness that was in her and I don't want it to take over her again." Henry replied.

Emma nodded her head in understanding. She had thought of that herself. "You know kid your mom is strong. She won't go down without a fight."

"You think?" Henry asked as he looked up at Emma.

"I don't think. I know. Your mom is going to fight this with everything she has and we are going to help her to do so. But for now I think we need to get to bed. We need all the rest we can get for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the start of helping your mom beat this." Emma said.

"Okay." Henry said and he pushed himself off of the sofa and started to walk towards the stairs. He then stopped and turned slightly. "It's weird you know. When you first came here all I wanted was to get away from my mom but now…well now all I want is for her to be here. I didn't realise I still…" He trailed off slightly.

"That you still needed her as much?" Emma asked.

Henry nodded her head. "Yea…I didn't realise I still needed her as much." He repeated. He then turned back round and made his way up the stairs.

Emma watched him until he got to the top of the stairs and then sighed. She had no idea if she had actually helped him or comforted him but she had tried her best she guessed. She rested her head back against the sofa and Mary-Margaret came into the living room and sat down beside her on the sofa, David soon joining them.

"How's Henry?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "As okay as he could be at this moment in time I guess. the kid just witnessed his mom turning into the dark one and now has no idea where she is…"

"He still has you though Emma." David said placing his hand on her shoulder.

"As good as that is dad I am not the one who raised him for most of his life. I have been in his life for what…two years and yes we have a god relationship but I am not Regina. I am not the mother who comforted him when he was sick or had a nightmare. I'm not the one who kissed him better when he fell. I'm not the one who baked with him or played with him or helped him with his homework or taught him things. Regina is that person and right now Henry needs her." Emma said and let out a big sigh at the end.

"We will figure all this out. We won't let Regina fall into darkness again. We can't let her." Mary-Margaret said firmly. "I don't want to see her like that again."

"Something tells me that if she does let this darkness take over her that she will be ten times worse than she was as the Evil Queen." Emma replies. "Regina now holds a hell of a lot of power. She is technically the Evil Queen and the Dark One put together and that spells out lots of power to me. Regina told me a little of the Dark Ones power, it is a lot of power for anyone to hold." Emma explained.

"Do you have any idea of what we are going to do to help Regina?" David asked.

Emma shook her head. "I have no idea what to do. But I am going to figure it out." Emma then pushed herself off of the sofa. "Now I am going to try and rest. Tomorrow we call for Regina and see how she is and tomorrow we are going to work on some kind of plan to figure out what will help Regina."

* * *

Robin walked into the camp he shared with his merry men, looking not as happy as he had been earlier than evening. Little John walked over to him. "Are you okay Robin?" Little John asked.

"Fine. Where's Roland?" He asked quickly. He didn't feel like talking about anything. He didn't want to talk about what had happened tonight. He was sure everyone would know what had happened soon enough. Right now he just wanted to see his son.

"He is in your tent. He kept asking when you and Regina were coming. Where is Regina?" Little John said looking behind Robin to see if Regina was nearby but there was no sign.

"I don't want to talk about it just not Little John. I'm going to see Roland." Robin said and he gently pushed past Little John and walked towards his tent. He walked in and he couldn't help the small smile when he saw Roland sat on his small bed with some cars that Regina had given to him. She had said they had been Henry's and had asked Roland to look after them for her, something Roland had been more than happy to do. The boy would do anything for Regina it had seemed. Much like this father.

Roland looked up and gave Robin a heart stopping smile. He dropped the cars on his bed and jumped out, running over to Robin and jumping into his arms. "Papa!" Roland squealed and hugged Robin tightly. "Where Gina?" Roland asked looking over Robin's shoulder.

"Regina's..." Robin started but then trailed off. What did he tell Roland? He had promised Roland that he would see Regina later on that night but clearly now that wasn't going to happen. He didn't exactly want to tell his four year old son that Regina had turned into the Dark One. He wasn't so sure how much Roland would understand. He sighed and pulled away slightly so he was looking down into Roland's big brown sparkling eyes. "Regina wasn't feel very well my boy. She has gone home to rest."

Roland pouted slightly. "But Gina promise me she come see me."

"I know she did Roland but papa told Regina to go home. She needed to rest." Robin replied.

"Can I see Gina tomorrow?" Roland asked.

"I'm not sure Roland. Maybe." Robin said with a small sigh.

He couldn't believe that once again his and Regina's happiness had been shattered again. There was always something getting in the way of their happiness. But he wasn't going to let anything stop him this time. He was going to get his true love back. He was going to help her fight against the darkness growing inside of her. He would not let her fall back into darkness. He would not lose her again. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He won't.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Henry had jumped up from bed as soon as he woke, dressed himself and darted downstairs to get some breakfast. Mary-Margaret and David frowned a little as they saw Henry half running down the stairs of the loft. He was normally in bed until at least late morning nowadays.

"Good morning Henry. You're up early." Mary-Margaret said as she got out the cereal and a bowl and spoon for Henry.

"Well I want to get started on a plan to help mom and I want to see her." Henry said pouring some cereal into his bowl.

Mary-Margaret nodded. She couldn't deny that she too wanted to see Regina. To see if she was okay, to see if she was coping. She could slightly imagine part of what Regina was going through. After what she had done to Regina's mother she had fought some dark thoughts but then she knew what she had felt, although awful and depressing it would be nothing compared to what Regina was feeling right at this moment in time. "As long as you know we are here to help Henry." Mary-Margaret finally said with a small smile.

"I know." Henry replied quietly. He picked up his bowl and spoon and walked over to the table and sat down, tucking into his cereal. He stopped after a couple of mouthfuls of cereal and dropped his spoon into the bowl with a slight clatter. He turned round a bit to look back at David and Mary-Margaret who were now looking over at him. "Do you think she is okay?" He asked.

Mary-Margaret glanced at one another. What did they say? No one knew if Regina was okay. "I-I'm sure your mom is okay Henry…She will have a lot going on in her mind but she will be okay. We will make sure of it." Mary-Margaret said walking over to Henry and placing her hand on his shoulder. He nodded his head and turned back round.

* * *

Regina had not slept one wink all night. She had sat up all night in the same position, resting against one of the walls, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. She had spent much of the time crying, thinking and fighting against the dark feelings going through her. Her head felt like it was going to explode and she had no idea what she was going to do. She jumped as her phone beeped and Regina lifted her head up from her knees and looked down to her phone on the floor beside her. On the screen she saw Henry's name and she sighed. She picked it up and opened up the message and just stared down at it.

 _Mom, are you okay?_

She didn't make a move to reply to the text. She had no idea how to reply to the text. She didn't have the answer to give her son. Was she okay? She had no idea. She didn't feel okay right at this moment in time she guessed. She was terrified that darkness was going to take over her once again. She could feel it inside her and it was trying to bring up all the old feelings and trying to make her remember how it felt to be powerful and in some way strong. It was showing her memories that she had tried so hard to push away, to push out of her mind and forget.

So maybe she could answer Henry's question. Maybe she did have the answer. No she wasn't alright. She was scared, no she was terrified. She felt weak but powerful at the same time. The pain in her head was striking. It was all too much. That was how she could answer Henry but she wouldn't. He is her son. She can't tell him all of that. She doesn't want him to worry about her. She doesn't want him to see her so vulnerable. She can't let him see her like that. She jumped again as her phoned beeped again and she looked down to see another text from Henry.

 _Mom? Please answer me. I want to know your okay._

Regina sighed and rested her head back against the wall. He was worrying about her. Of course he was. He had been there last night. He had seen what had happened. She had disappeared straight after and none of them knew if she was even alive never mind if she was okay. She looked back down at her phone and let out another sigh and made a move to reply to Henry.

* * *

Henry jumped up as soon as he heard his phone beep. He grabbed it from the table and let out a sigh of relief as he saw the message was from Regina.

 _I'm okay. Please don't worry._

He frowned. Did his mom really think he wouldn't worry about her? Emma was now awake and walked over to Henry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You okay kid? Your mom answer you?" She asked as she sat down at the table.

"She answered. She said she is okay and I've not to worry." Henry replied sitting down beside Emma.

"Well at least we know she is okay now right?" Emma said.

Henry nodded his head. "Doesn't stop me worrying about her though."

"Of course it won't Henry but we will sort everything out and it will be okay." Emma replied. "We are not going to let darkness take over your mom again." And Emma meant every word she had said. She wouldn't let Regina be taken over by darkness again. Regina had fought to hard for her happy ending and she was going to get it if it was the last thing Emma done. She would make sure Regina got the happy ending she deserved. She had to!

"I want to see her. I need to see her. I will only believe she is okay once I have seen her." Henry said firmly.

Emma nodded her head. "I'm with you there kid and straight after my breakfast I am going to go and get ready and then we are going to see your mom okay." So Henry waited as patiently as he could for Emma to finish her breakfast and then go and get ready. He paced around the sofa as he waited everything running through his mind. He couldn't wait to see his mom. He wanted to make sure she really was okay. Emma came back downstairs pulling on her leather jacket. "Alright we need to go and meet Robin. He would like to see your mom too."

Henry nodded his head. "I thought he would."

Emma smiled at Henry and then she turned to Mary-Margaret and David. "You two coming too?" She asked. They both nodded their heads and they all filed out of the loft and made their way down to the forests of Storybrooke meeting Robin on the edge of the forest. As they approached they could all see, like themselves, that Robin hadn't slept much the night before and the worry was evident on his face. Emma was the first to speak as they approached Robin. "Henry heard from Regina earlier. Didn't you Henry…" Emma said nudging Henry a little who nodded his head.

"You did?" Robin asked quickly. "Is she okay?"

"I text her asking that. She replied telling me she is and not to worry about her." Henry replied.

Robin sighed. "That is easy for Regina to say." He said as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Well we are hopefully going to see her now." Emma said. She then pulled out the dagger that had been sitting in the back pocket of her jeans.

"We are going to use the dagger?" Robin asked his eyebrows lifting slightly. "I'm not so sure she would like the fact we are able to control her."

"No she won't like it but this is the only way that we will ensure that we will definitely get to see Regina. I have a feeling that she would hide from us as long as she could if we let her. If we use the dagger she will have no choice but to see us. I don't like it but we have to make sure she is okay." Emma explained. She really didn't like the idea of using the dagger against Regina but they needed to see her.

Robin nodded his head. "Your right." He said quietly.

Emma held the dagger up trying to think what she should say. Should she say what they had said for Rumplestiltskin? Should she say 'dark one I summon thee'? Or should she said 'Regina I summon thee'? She had no idea. What sounded better? What sounded right? She sighed and then looked over at Henry who was looking up at her. Maybe she wasn't the one to be calling for Regina. Henry was the one who really needed to see her. Sure she and Mary-Margaret and David wanted to see her and she knew Robin was desperate to see Regina but Henry was the one out of all of them that truly needed his mom around him. She bit her lip and then moved her hand towards Henry handing the dagger to him. "You should call for her." Emma said quietly. She knew Henry would know what to say. He always somehow did.

Henry did not hesitate in taking the dagger. He stepped back from them and held the dagger out in front of him just staring at it for a moment. He knew exactly how he was going to call his mom and it wasn't by the usual way you would call for the dark one. "Mom…Mom I need you…" He called out, staring at the dagger as he did so. He wished with all his heart that she would appear and put all his energy into it and everyone looked around waiting to see if it had worked.

* * *

As soon as Regina had replied to Henry's text she had finally pushed herself up from the floor and placed her phone on a table in the room. She had walked over to the mirror and stared into it for a while. She looked tired and definitely not herself. Well not the person she had become now. She ran her fingers through her hair and then wiped her hands over her face.

She needed to get herself together. If she was going to fight this she needed to get herself sorted. So that is what she did. She reapplied her makeup, hiding the bags under her eyes and finding that something inside her was telling her to put extra eye liner on and giving herself a much darker look than usual. She'd had no idea that's what she had been doing while applying her makeup. Once she was finished she walked over to the books she had on a shelf in her vault and moved her finger over the spines trying to see if there was one that could help her with the new mess she was in.

She needed to start working on getting herself out of the mess she found herself in. She had no idea if there was a way out, apart from the way she knew of, the way her mother was going to become the dark one but she didn't really like the idea of someone stabbing her with the dagger and becoming the dark one themselves so she quickly ruled that one out. She grabbed a book from the shelf and walked over to a big chest and sat down on it, placing the book on her lap. Opening it she flicked through the pages not really sure what she was looking for. It was then that a strange feeling came over her and she heard a voice…but not just any voice, Henry's voice.

 _Mom…Mom I need you…_

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head. Looking around her she couldn't see Henry anywhere but the echo of his voice was still running through her head.

 _Mom I need you._

She heard again and then she felt this pull. A feeling she couldn't fight against. She lost all control of herself, whatever she was doing was not because she choosing to do it, but because she _had_ to do it. She found herself transporting towards where she felt Henry was and as she opened her eyes she found herself stood in front of Henry, Emma, Robin and then Charming's all staring back at her in slight disbelief that they were seeing her.

"Mom!" Henry gasped and stepped towards her, quickly wrapping his arms around Regina and hugging her tightly.

Regina didn't hug Henry back right away but when she looked down at him she felt the darkness slowly slip a little and the love she felt for him shine through. A lightness in her heart. She moved her arms up and around him, one hand cradling his head and she kissed the top of his head and whispered. "Henry."

"Regina are you okay?" Robin asked, worry in his voice and he stepped forwards wishing to hug her, hold her, be with her. Regina looked up at Robin and he could see in her eyes she was struggling with fighting everything she was feeling.

"I'm okay…" She said her voice wavering slightly, failing her in getting across that she was okay. She didn't want Henry to worry for her. That wasn't his job. He shouldn't have to feel worried for her.

Henry pulled away from her and looked up into her eyes. He wasn't stupid. He knew she wasn't okay but he didn't say anything. "We are going to help you mom. We will figure out how to keep you away from the darkness." Regina gave Henry a small smile and placed her hand on his cheek. Tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't give into it mom." Henry said.

"I am trying Henry." Regina replied quietly.

"Roland missed you last night…" Robin said hoping to ease the tension slightly. "He wants' to see you."

"I'm not so sure that is a good idea. Do you really want your son around the dark one?" Regina said.

"I know you wouldn't hurt him." Robin said simply.

"I wouldn't want to hurt him. It would be an accident but it could happen anyway." Regina said.

"Five minutes. That's all he will need. He just needs to see you, to hug you." Robin said, although he wasn't sure if he really was talking about Roland or himself. Regina sighed and nodded her head in consent.

"Henry why don't you go get Roland?" Emma asked knowing they needed to talk and knowing Regina would find it easier without Henry there.

"Okay." Henry said fully pulling away from Regina and looking towards Robin for directions. Robin gave him directions and he left the adults knowing they were just trying to get rid of him so they could talk more but he went any way.

As soon as Henry was far enough away Emma asked "Right Regina, are you really okay or is that answer just for Henry's benefit?"

Regina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I might not be as okay as I am making out…" She started but trailed off.

"You didn't come to find any of us last night…" Robin said.

"I needed time…to think and well…to sort things out in my head. There is a lot going on in my head at the moment. Too much. It hurts. I can't make it stop!" Regina tried to explain. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She felt far too emotional. All her feelings getting the better of her. She swallowed back the tears, something inside her saying not to show them any weaknesses. She can't show that she is weak.

"Let us help you Regina." Mary-Margaret said stepping forward a little. "We can help…"

"You can't help me. You can't stop what is going on in my head. You can't stop all the feelings. You have no idea what is going on, what this feels like." Regina said shaking her head.

Robin knew exactly what Regina was doing. She was pushing them all away. Trying to protect them from herself. She was scared she would hurt them. She didn't want to hurt them so she would push them away. "Regina we can help you as long as you let us in."

Regina shook her head again. "No…" She whispered but she cut herself off as she saw Henry and Roland approaching them. She quickly swiped at the tears falling down her face and swallowed back her emotions.

"Gina!" Roland squealed as soon as he saw her and he pulled away from Henry and ran over to Regina jumping into her open arms. "You didn't come see me last night." Roland muffled into her shoulder as he hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry Roland." Regina replied and kissed the top of the child's head.

"Papa said you not feel well. You better now?" Roland asked pulling away slightly to look at Regina. He placed his hands on her cheeks to make sure he could look at her properly.

She gave him the best smile she could, a smile that the adults could probably see right through but Roland's young innocent mind couldn't. "I am much better now Roland."

Roland smiled back at Regina. "You come play now?" Roland asked.

Regina hesitated for a moment. She wanted to go and play with Roland and Robin and Henry too. She wanted to be spending time with them but she couldn't. She was too scared she would hurt one of them. She wasn't sure she would be able to forgive herself if one of them got hurt. "I-I can't Roland…" Regina started.

"Please Gina! Want you to come play."

Regina sighed and she crouched down and placed Roland on the ground. She kissed him on the forehead and stood up, looking around all the adults and then to Henry. She looked back down at Roland who was trying so hard to convince Regina to play with him that he was giving her his best puppy dog eyes. Something that would usually make Regina give in but today she knew she had to stay strong and stay away. "I'm sorry Roland. I can't come and play. I need to go now."

"Mom no. Where are you going?" Henry asked urgently.

"I-I'm sorry…" She said again. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she cursed herself inside at how emotional she was just now. "I can't let you all be around me just now. I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. It is better for you all if you stay away from me."

"Mom please you can't be alone just now. It would be better if you had us around you." Henry said.

"Henry's right Regina. Being alone won't help you." Emma said.

Regina tried not to let their voices into her head. She couldn't let them talk her out of this. She needed to be as far away from them as she could. Far away so that she couldn't hurt them. "Please don't use the dagger on me…" She said showing all her vulnerability. She then vanished in a cloud of purple smoke leaving them standing there.

It was Roland who spoke up first, confused by what was going on. "Papa Gina not like me anymore?" He asked hurt that Regina wouldn't want to play with him.

Robin sighed and he crouched down in front of Roland. "My boy Gina loves you. She just can't play just now. She is very busy."

"Okay…" Roland huffed out not happy with the answer but accepting it anyway.

Robin then stood back up, taking Roland's hand in his and holding him close. "What are we going to do? Do we leave Regina or…"

"I have no idea." Emma sighed.

"She doesn't want me around…" Henry said quietly. "Why doesn't she want me around?" He asked looking up a Emma.

"It's not that she doesn't want you around Henry." Emma said quickly.

"She is pushing you away to try and protect you Henry. She is doing it to us all." Robin added in. "She thinks it is the best thing to do."

"And is it?" Henry asked.

Emma looked at Robin, not sure how to answer Henry's question. So Robin answered. "I don't think it is but what I do think is that if we use the dagger to make your mom see us she will start to lose trust in us and it will only push her towards the darkness."

"So in order to help her we don't push her?" Henry asked trying to understand and process everything. Robin nodded his head. "How long do we leave her? Surely the longer she is alone the more she could go to the darkness?"

"I'm not sure Henry but in the mean time we are going to do everything we can to look for a way to help your mom. We won't let the darkness take her over. We will help her and…" Robin said trailing off a little as he felt his emotions taking over.

"We will get her the happy ending she deserves." Emma added in placing a hand on Henry an Robin's shoulders.

* * *

 **So what do we think of Regina so far as The Dark One? Do you think this is how she would be?**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I am so sorry that I have taken so long to get this chapter up to you! I know excuses excuses but I have been incredibly busy recently. I have been on holiday, down to England to see family friends and then they came up to Scotland to celebrate my birthday and have been doing things practically every day so have had zero time to write anything. But I have managed to catch up slightly and so here we have a chapter. I am going to try and sort out a regular updating system so that I can get a chapter up every week so I will try figure that out! Anyway I will stop with the chat and let you read. Let me know what you think! :-)**_

* * *

Two days had passed and Regina had spent the whole time hiding in her vault. She had tried her hardest to process all the dark feelings that were beginning to cloud her mind but she was finding it harder and harder. The longer she spent down in her vault all by herself the more the darkness seemed to take over her.

Her thoughts were beginning to take over her. The more she thought about everything the more darker her thoughts turned. She thought about Robin and Roland and Henry and tried to hang onto her love for them but she was beginning to lose it all. The more time she spent alone the more time she had to think about Zelena and what she had done to herself and Robin. The fact her sister was pregnant with Robin's child, it killed her inside, especially since she knew she couldn't give Robin a child.

Her anger at her sister was rising every minute she spent alone in her mind. The darkness was taking advantage of her anger that was hiding deep down inside. She was now pacing up and down the room, running her fingers through her hair.

 _You know you want revenge Regina. Take revenge on your sister. You know you want to._

Regina shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the darkness in her head. "No no no!" She murmured to herself as she leaned against the wall. "I don't want revenge! I don't!"

 _You do want revenge Regina. Think about how good it would feel to have your revenge. To have the power and strength again._

Her hands were in her hair again and she grabbed on tight, closing her eyes and trying to force out the thoughts in her head. "NO!" She shouted, her hands flying from her hair and hitting the wall.

 _Give into it Regina. Your sister deserves your revenge. You know she does._

The idea of taking revenge out on Zelena, something years ago she wouldn't have had to think twice about, was beginning to work its way into mind. Revenge on her sister…maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing? Maybe people would understand her revenge.

No! No, she needed to stop letting this darkness take over her. She turned around, rested her fore head against the wall and fisted her hands. Her hands started punching the wall as if taking everything out on the wall would help to rid her of the dark thoughts in her mind. She hit and hit and hit and let out a scream, taking out all her frustration but the dark thoughts seemed to get louder and louder echoing in her mind, booming in her mind, taking her over and this time she wasn't sure if there was anything she could do to push the darkness away from her. No amount of love was going to help her dark thoughts at this moment in time.

 _TAKE REVENGE REGINA! DO IT! YOUR SISTETR DESERVES IT! SHE TOOK YOUR SECOND CHANCE AND MADE EVERYTHING HARDER! JUST LET THE POWER AND REVENGE TAKE OVER YOU REGINA. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. JUST DO IT!_

It repeated over and over again. echoing in her mind and she stopped punching the wall and pushed herself away from the wall. She looked down at her hands, cuts, bruises and blood all over them from punching the wall but she didn't seem to care right now. No all she cared about was the revenge she needed to take out on her sister. The darkness was right. She needed to take revenge. Her sister deserved it. She took what was hers. She ruined everything.

A smirk made its way onto Regina's face and she waved her hand over her body, changing her appearance dramatically. She walked over to the mirror and an evil smile appeared. She was dressed in a long tight leather dress and held to her figure perfectly. Her shoes were black high heels with silver spikes all over them and her hair was up in an up do. "Well hello again my queen." Regina purred and her evil smile stayed firmly in place on her face.

* * *

Henry, Emma, Robin and the Charmings had been sat in the library for hours searching for ways to help Regina but had yet to find anything. Henry groaned in frustration and slammed the book shut and then threw it across the room. It hit the fall with a thud and then fell to the ground. Everyone looked up and looked at Henry in surprise. They had never seen him act this way but Emma noted it was something Regina would do if she was frustrated about something. In fact it is something Regina has done.

"Henry…" Emma started but Henry interrupted her.

"Why can't we find anything?! How hard can it be to just find something?!" He asked and thump his fist on the table.

"Henry we will find something soon. I promise you. We just need a little time that's all." Emma said softly and placed a hand on top of Henry's.

"We don't have time thought! I don't want mom to fall into the darkness. She can't! She has worked too hard for it all to fall apart again." Henry said worry showing in his tone and on his face.

"And if she does fall into the darkness Henry we will all be right there to help her out of it again." Robin added in. "We won't let her go dark again."

"What if we are too late? What if it consumes her and she can't come back?"

"We will find a way. We always do." Emma replies.

It was then that the doors to the library flew open and Hook ran in, looking worried and more than a little scared. "I hate to say this love but the Evil Queen is back." Hook huffed out trying to catch his breath.

"What?!" They all said at once as they stood up from their seats. "Where is she?" Emma asked as she stepped towards Hook.

"Heading towards the hospital. I have a feeling she might be out to get the witch." Hook said.

"Shit! Okay…" Emma said running her fingers through her hair.

"We need to go to her Emma. We can't let her take revenge on Zelena. We can't let her. If she does we will truly loose her." Henry said.

"We won't Henry." Robin said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay so what is our plan?" David asked. "I don't think we can just barge in. If she has gone back to the Evil Queen barging in will just get us hurt…or worse…"

"We need to make her remember the people who love her. Love hurts the darkness. It stops it." Henry said. "I got her this." He said as he went over to his back pack. He opened it and pulled out a box. He opened it and brought out a gold locket on a gold chain. He opened the locket it and showed it to them. The locket was in the shape of a heart and held pictures of Regina and Henry and Regina, Robin and Roland. "If we show her this it will make her remember the true love she feels and will hopefully stop the darkness taking over her."

"You really think it will work?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Emma shrugged. "Worth a try I guess. Now it's just a question of approaching her. We need to be careful."

"Well we better go now before she does something she will regret." Robin said and they all quickly left the library.

* * *

Regina burst into the hospital and walked through as if she owned the place. She loved the fear in everyone's faces and silently dared anyone to come up and try to stop her but no one did. She made her way down into the basement of the hospital and towards where Zelena was being held.

"Madam Mayor…" A nurse said but stopped as she saw what Regina was wearing and the look on her face.

"Leave." Regina ordered and the nurse decided not to fight back and did just as she ordered and left. Regina turned to the door of Zelena's room and waved her hand to open it but frowned as the door didn't open. It was then that she remembered it was her and Emma's magic they used to seal it. She rolled her eyes and knew she was going to have to use all the strength she had to break the magic seal down. so she took a deep breath and summoned all her magic and shot it out towards the door.

* * *

Henry, Emma, Robin and the Charmings rushed into the hospital. They looked around them but so no destruction and frowned. "Have we beat her here?" Henry asked in confusion.

"No you haven't beat her." Whale said. "She is here."

"But everything and everyone is still standing." Emma said.

Whale nodded her head. "She wasn't interested in any of us. As long as we stood back and left her to do what she wanted we were fine."

"She only has one place and one person in mind." Mary-Margaret said.

"Zelena." David confirmed.

"Okay let's go." Emma said and they all headed towards the basement of the hospital. As they reached the bottom of the stairs they ran over to the room where Zelena was being held and saw Regina was definitely already in there.

Regina had Zelena held up by her magic, Zelena was grabbing at an invisible force that seemed to be around her neck and Regina was laughing.

"Regina stop!" Emma said.

Regina looked over to them and they all saw a blackness to her eyes. "I will have my revenge."

"No Regina you don't want this. Not really. Don't give into the darkness." Emma said stepping into the room and slowly stepping towards Regina.

"Why would I listen to you?!" and with then Regina flicked her hand and Emma flew through the air and hit the wall.

"Ow! Okay someone else's turn." Emma groaned as she pushed herself up from the floor.

Robin was just about to step forward but Henry stopped him and shook his head. "She'll throw you too. I have a feeling deep down, no matter how dark she is she won't hurt me." Henry said.

Robin stared down at Henry for a minute and then looked up at Regina. He tried to think if he had that amount of darkness in him would he be the same with Roland and he knew he would. No matter how dark he'd never hurt Roland. So he nodded his head. Stepped back again and let Henry walk into the room.

"Mom…" Henry said and Regina looked over at him.

"Henry…" She said and Henry saw a little of the darkness leave her eyes. "Help me…" He heard her whisper it was low enough that he was sure no one else but him heard it.

"Mom this isn't you. You know it isn't. Don't let this darkness take over you. Don't let it tell you revenge is the answer. You know it's not." Henry said as he slowly walked over to Regina.

"She deserves it." Regina growled out.

"She may have done horrible things mom but you can't take revenge like this mom. Please don't destroy all your hard work. You aren't this person any more. You're not the Evil Queen." Henry said. He then took the locket out his pocket and took the last couple of steps to be at Regina's side and as he looked up he could see tears beginning to fall. "You're not this person mom." He said and placed his hand in hers. He felt Regina grab onto his hand and he let the locket fall into her hand and slowly pulled his hand out of hers.

Regina looked down at the locket and frowned. "What is this?" She asked.

"Look at it. It's your family, the people that love you and the people you love." Henry said.

Regina opened the locket and gasped as she saw the pictures in the locket and fresh tears pooled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She felt love building up inside her, her heart feeling as if it was working one hundred times harder. She gasped and let go of her hold of Zelena and her knees buckled and she fell to the floor and began to sob as the darkness slowly left her eyes and went back into her head and quietened. Henry knelt down beside Regina and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Mom…"

"Henry…" She sobbed and Henry wrapped his arms around his mother and let her sob into his shoulder. She held onto him tightly. They sat there for a while and everyone stood back and left them. Zelena too scared to even make a move to do anything and everyone knowing Regina would need some space.

After a while everything seemed to be quiet and Robin slowly walked over to Henry and Regina and crouched down beside them. Henry looked up at him, his mother still in his arms. "I think she might be asleep." Henry whispered.

"Why don't we get her home?" Robin suggested and Henry nodded his head. He gently shuffled over and let Robin take Regina in his arms. He put an arm around Regina's back and then under Regina's legs and lifted her up. She moved a little and cuddled into Robin and he couldn't help his smile. He had missed her. Her arm fell slightly and the locket fell out of her hand.

Henry picked it up. "Wait a minute." He said and he placed the locket around her neck and clasped it. "I hope it helps her to contain the darkness."

"I think it will Henry. You done brilliantly to help her." Robin praised. "Come on let's get her home."


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologise once again for the gap in-between chapters. I could give you all my excuses but its all the usual busy busy life! Anyway I shall try not to leave it so long next time in-between chapters and I do hope you enjoy this one!**

* * *

Regina's eyes fluttered open, but soon closed once the bright light of the room hit her. She groaned a little and the thumping of a headache kicked in. Slowly she opened her eyes again and looked around her confused at the brightness. Having been in her vault for so long she really wasn't used to the harsh brightness of the sun. As she looked around she saw that she was in her bedroom, in her mansion and confusion hit her again. She tried to remember what had happened for her to end up here.

The last thing she remembered was being in her vault and fighting against the darkness that insisted she take revenge on her sister. She remembered hitting the wall, screaming in frustration and then everything after that is just black, literally black.

"Your awake…" Came a soft voice from the door but Regina still jumped. She looked over to see Robin stood by the door staring over at her. She opened her mouth about to speak but found her throat sore and her voice weak. Robin walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up a glass of water that was sat on her bedside table and leaned closer to her, an arm underneath her head to support her he lifted her slightly and placed the glass to her lips. "Drink…" He said softly and for once she did what he told her without arguing.

After a few sips Regina shook her head telling Robin she didn't want any more. He let her lie back down and he placed the glass back on the bedside table. "What happened? Why am I here?" Regina asked her voice still hoarse.

"You don't remember?" Robin questioned and Regina shook her head. "I guess the darkness must have won over you for a while. We found you in Zelena's cell, you had her held up by your magic. I think you were strangling her. "

Regina closed her eyes. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. She had let the darkness take over her. She had given into it. She had promised she wouldn't. She had said she would fight it. She had broken her promise to Henry. "I…I didn't mean to…"

"We know you didn't. You fought it Regina. You stopped it. You came back to us." Robin said placing his hand on Regina's cheek. "Henry helped you to come back to us."

"Henry saw me like that?" Regina asked worry in her eyes.

Robin nodded his head. "He knew that he would be the only one to get you back. Henry knew that no matter how dark you were that you would never hurt him. He gave you this." Robin said lifting the heart locket around her neck to show her.

Regina looked down and took it from Robin. "This…did this help to…bring me back?"

"Yes. Henry knew it would. It has the people you love the most and who love you the most. Your family. Henry thinks as long as you have that your fight against the darkness will be stronger. He is a smart boy. Takes after his mother." Robin explained with a smile.

Regina gave Robin a small smile but it soon faded. "Why did you bring me back here? It's dangerous for me to be here with you all."

"It's dangerous for you to be alone Regina." Robin said firmly. He was not going to let her go back into herself and push everyone away again. He would not let her be alone. They were going to fight this together. "You are not alone in this Regina. We are going to fight this together. You cannot and will not fight this alone."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Regina sobbed tears falling down her face. Robin leaned down and lifted her into his arms, wrapping them around her in a protective manner. "Please…I can't lose any of you…"

"You're not going to lose us Regina." Robin soothed as he moved his hand up and down her back.

"I…I'm scared I might hurt you…I don't want to…but what if the darkness takes over and I can't control it…" Regina said tears still flowing down her face. She pulled away from Robin slightly and looked up at him. "I-I was staying away to protect you all."

"But you weren't protecting yourself were you? Regina you don't always have to do everything yourself. Accepting help doesn't make you weak." Robin said cupping her cheek in his hand. He then leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Regina closed her eyes and fell into Robin, letting him wrap his arms around her and for the first time in a while she felt happy and protected. She felt safe and it was exactly what she needed.

She then pulled away and looked up at Robin. "You're making it harder for me to walk away." She sighed.

"Good." He replied and Regina smiled at him. "There it is. There is that beautiful smile I have missed so much."

Regina dipped her head and blushed a little. Her eyes landed on the locket and she placed her hand on it, picking it up with her fingers. "Do you think this locket really is helping lock the darkness away?" Regina wondered.

"Yes…because you have your family close to your heart." Robin said placing his hand over her heart.

Regina opened the locket and couldn't help but smile as she saw what pictures Henry had picked to put in the locket. The one of herself and Henry they were both laughing and Regina was kissing him on the cheek. She then looked to the one of herself, Robin and Roland. They were on the sofa, she was tickling Roland and Robin was laughing as they both watched Roland giggling and kicking fighting to get away but wanting it to continue. They were both pictures she loved and she couldn't believe Henry remembered she loved them. Were they enough to try and lock the darkness down? Were they enough to pull her back?

"Regina? Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"I-I think so…" Regina sighed. "You promise I won't hurt anyone?"

"Just hold onto your locket and the love you feel and I know that darkness will get locked down. We will find a way to help you Regina but you need to let us." Robin said.

Regina nodded and she looked up at Robin. "I will let you…" She replied and then leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

* * *

After a little while Regina decided she was ready to go downstairs and face everyone else. As they walked out of the room and headed towards the stairs Regina grabbed onto Robin's hand and held on tightly. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be fine okay." He said softly and then they headed down the stairs.

They walked through to the living room and Robin stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Look who's awake." He said and everyone looked up giving Regina a smile.

"Mom. Are you okay?" Henry asked as he jumped up from the sofa and ran over to Regina wrapping his arms around her middle and hugging her tightly.

Regina rested her head on top of Henry's and hugged him back. "Yes I'm okay Henry. I hear you helped me out…Thank you." Regina said pulling away slightly. "Thank you to you all and…well…I'm sorry for…" Regina trailed off and sighed.

"It's okay mom. We know you didn't mean for it to happen. It's not your fault." Henry said quickly.

Regina smiled at him. "I may not have really meant what I did but…well I guess a part of me did mean it…" Regina said. "A part of me wanted to do that to Zelena."

"Well that makes sense Regina. The darkness needed something to feed off it needed something to work on and convince you turning back to the darkness was the answer. It manipulated you…" Mary-Margaret said.

"I let it. I should have been stronger." Regina sighed.

"You shut yourself away from everyone Regina no one blames you for not feeling strong enough to fight against the darkness." Emma added in. "You can't expect to be able to fight this on your own Regina. You don't have to shut yourself away and be alone anymore. You have us to help you, you just have to let us in."

Regina could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She found herself getting so emotional and she knew it was because she had barely slept in the last few days and fighting against the darkness had drained her. "I would like to let you all in…I-I could use some help…" Regina said quietly trying to keep in the tears.

Robin stepped towards Regina and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to look at Robin. "Then you have our help Regina. We will all stand by you no matter what.." Robin said. He then leaned over and placed a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"Yea mom. We will help you through this. With us you can beat this. You can get rid of the darkness again, I know you can." Henry said with a smile on his face.

Regina smiled down at Henry. He really knew how to make her feel better. "Thank you sweetheart." Regina said as she cupped his cheek with her hand.

"Okay…well shall we go and get something to eat? How about Grannies?" David asked stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Oh I-I'm not sure about that…I don't think I should…" Regina started but Robin soon cut her off.

"Regina I think we should. You can do this." Robin said squeezing her shoulder gently and looking down into her deep brown eyes. "You can do this." He repeated.

Regina sighed and she ran her fingers through her hair. She looked back down at Henry, her little boy that was not so little anymore. He was nearly the same height as her and she knew he would be towering over her very soon. Henry gave her a smile and he pulled out of her arms but reached down and took hold of her hand. "Robin's right mom. You can do it." Henry said and that was all the confirmation Regina needed to know perhaps she could go out to the diner and have dinner with her family and friends.

"Okay." She said with a sigh. "I guess I can. But first I think I should get changed. I'm not going out looking like this." Regina said giving a small smile.

Robin let out a small laugh and he kissed the side of her head. "There's the Regina I know."

* * *

As Regina entered Grannies with Robin, Henry, Emma and the Charmings she instantly felt nervous. She bit her lip as she felt all eyes turn to her and she stepped back slightly and hid behind Robin a little. Robin took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. He leaned over and whispered into her ear. "It's okay. You can do this."

Regina nodded and she let Robin guide her over to one of the booths. Everyone sat down and Robin pulled over a couple more chairs and he pulled one out for Regina to sit down. She gave him a smile and sat down and he sat down beside her. He took hold of her hand underneath the table again hoping to make her more comfortable and he could see how nervous she was about being here with everyone staring at her. Regina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair and everyone looked up at her.

"You okay Regina?" Emma asked.

"I…I think I should go…I'm not sure I can do this.…" Regina stuttered out as she glanced around a little.

Emma looked around, as well as the Charmings and they noticed everyone staring. Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes at the noisy towns folk before turning her attention back to Regina. "Don't pay attention to them Regina. "

"It's hard to not pay attention when all eyes are on you." Regina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think I might just go." Regina said standing up from the table. She looked around and could see everyone was on edge once more when they were around her. Everyone was watching her to see if she was going to use her magic against them and she sighed once again. She had thought she had proved to them that she was not that person any more but maybe none of them had believed in her in the first place.

"No mom don't go…" Henry said reaching over and grabbing a hold of Regina's wrist. "Please…You can do this. No one will start anything with you and you won't do anything to anyone. We will make sure of it. You can do this." Henry said with pleading eyes.

Regina looked down at Henry and then glanced to the others at the table. All she wanted was to go back to how things were before she got this darkness back into her. She wanted to go back to the Regina who was redeeming herself not the Regina who had now become the dark one. She looked down into Henry's pleading eyes once more before nodding her head and sitting back down. She could do it. For Henry she could do anything.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's a chapter for you! Is everyone excited for the return of Once? I know I am! Cannot wait to see what they all have planned for this season!**

* * *

They all sat in the library looking for ways in which to get to Camelot and find Merlin. Nothing yet had come up and Regina was getting more and more frustrated and it appeared the darkness in her was taking advantage of this as she slammed a book shut and chucked it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thump and fell to the floor making everyone in the room jump and look over at Regina with caution.

"This is ridiculous. We have been looking for days and come up with nothing." Regina snapped in frustration, hitting her hands off the table and standing up so quickly that the chair she had been sitting on fell behind her.

"Regina it's alright. We will find something." Mary-Margaret said placing a hand on top of Regina's.

Regina whipped her hand away, kicking the chair she walked away from the group around the table and began to pace up and down the room. "The last thing I need is one of your bloody hope speeches alright!"

"Regina…" Emma started but was soon cut off.

"Don't Regina me!" Regina hissed snapping round to face them all. "Hope hope and more hope don't you ever see bloody reality in things. What is the point in all this? We aren't finding anything. Maybe this is just how it is meant to be. Maybe I am doomed to be dark for the rest of my life. Why are we bothering with all this shit?!" Regina said her voice rising with each word. The anger and frustration in her was rising. The darkness taking over her bit by bit, no matter how hard she tried to fight it inside.

Magic shot out from her, making the whole room shake, books flying off the shelves, furniture shaking. Regina gasped, looking down at her hands and backed herself until she hit the wall behind her. The darkness slowly slipped away and it was then that she realised what she had said and how she had reacted. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall but it was useless. She slowly slipped down the wall, her hands in her hair and bringing her knees up to her chest as she started to cry. She couldn't control this darkness. It was starting to control her.

Everyone glanced at one another and then over to Regina wondering whether it would be safe to go over to Regina or not. Robin sighed and he slowly walked over to Regina. He crouched down beside Regina and placed a hand on her knee making her jump a little and look up at him showing him her tear stained face. "Regina we are going to find a way to get rid of this darkness in you. Whether you believe it or not there is hope out there, hope in here. Together we will help you." Robin said taking Regina's hand in his.

"I…I can't control it…" Regina whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "It's too much…too hard…"

"Remember the locket Regina…" Robin said reaching forward and pulling the locket out from beneath her top. "Remember the love of your family and friends. It is connected to that locket. If you feel the darkness wanting to take you just hold onto that locket. Hold on as tight as you can and think of us…your family the ones who love you."

Regina nodded and she let Robin pull her over to him and hold her in his arms. She tried to control her tears but they just kept falling. She had never felt so vulnerable. Never in her life and she had experienced vulnerability. This just felt so different. There was times where it felt that she wasn't in her body, she could see herself but could not control herself. She couldn't control how she felt. It was horrible to feel so out of control.

"I think I found something!" Henry said standing up from his chair and picking up the book he had been reading.

"What? What have you found?" David asked as he walked over to Henry to stand beside him.

Robin helped Regina up and she wiped at her eyes and cheeks as they walked over to Henry, as did Emma, Mary-Margaret and Hook. "There is a wand…a wand that could get us to Camelot. It has to be wielded by someone who knows of and has light and dark magic." Henry explained as he continued to try read the book.

"So that's you Regina right? You used light magic against Zelena…" Hook said.

"Hook's right you did. That must mean you." Mary-Margaret said.

Regina shook her head. "I don't think it would work if I done it."

"But you broke the curse to get us back here…you were the light one in the new story. And these guys are right you did use light magic against Zelena even though you have dark magic." David said with a frown.

"Yes but that was before the dark one came to me. That was before the darkness sucked out the light I did have in me." Regina sighed. "Right now even if I do have any light it will be the tiniest amount. Nowhere near enough to use that wand and get us to Camelot."

"Mom's right. The darkness is snuffing out the light she had." Henry said. "But there has to be someone else."

"What about you Emma? You were fighting with light and dark?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"Not enough dark. She never really used dark magic." Henry said shaking his head. "There has to be a balance."

"Well none of this matters anyway because we don't have the wand." Regina sighed. "No wand then no way to get there."

"What about Gold's shop? We could see if it's in there." Robin suggested.

"That's a good shout. Kid what does the wand look like?" Emma asked. Henry pushed the book over on the table to show the rest of them the picture of the wand. Emma nodded her head and leaned down ripping the picture out of the book. "Okay, Robin, Killian and Dad you go to Gold's shop and search for this. Me, Mom, Regina and the kid will stay here and try figure out who can work the wand." Emma said handing the picture to Robin.

The men nodded and made their way out of the library, Robin giving Regina a quick kiss before he left. Emma and Mary-Margaret then sat back down at the table along with Henry while Regina began to pace up and down the room again. "Okay so we need someone with both light and dark magic…" Mary-Margaret said.

Regina grabbed onto her locket. She could feel the darkness rising up in her and she closed her eyes, stopping in her steps. She breathed in and out and thought of her family, of the love she has in her life now. She tried has hard as she could to fight against the darkness that wanted to take over her. "Regina you alright?" Emma asked placing a hand on Regina's shoulder making her jump and pull her out of her thoughts.

Regina nodded her head and let go of her locket, the darkness seeming to have settled. Maybe the locket did work after all. "Yes…I'm fine…"

"Okay…" Emma said giving Regina a small smile. "So…can anyone think of anyone else in town that has used both light and dark magic? Or has it just now…"

"Well…" Henry started and then stopped, biting his lip and looking back down at the book on the table.

"What? What were you going to say Henry?" Regina asked walking over to him.

"You're probably not going to like who I am going to say…It's kind of someone you hate right not…like someone you really hate…" Henry said. "But ironically, even after everything she has done to ruin your life she could be the one person that could help you and get you to Camelot. She has her dark magic and well…now after recent events has a bit of light magic in her due to the baby."

"Zelena…" Regina said in quiet understanding. She knew straight away who Henry was talking about. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't think I can trust myself to go and see her again… not after what happened a couple of days ago."

"You'll be with us Regina…we will make sure nothing happens." Mary-Margaret said.

Regina nodded and then leaned on the table a little. "Okay. Let's say Zelena is the one who can use this wand…and if it is in Gold's shop and we have it doesn't mean Zelena will help. There is no way she would help me. She wanted to erase me from existence before. Why would she help me now?"

"Yes that is our only problem with if I am right and Zelena is the one who can help." Henry replied and he sat back down in his chair. "We need to figure out a way that she can't say no to helping. Offer her something that she can't resist."

"That would be me not existing." Regina replied.

"There must be something else she wants. freedom perhaps?" Emma said.

"Oh yes Miss Swan, let's just set her free so she can run riot and try and ruin our lives all over again." Regina threw in sarcastically.

"I don't mean let her go here. Send her elsewhere…like the Enchanted Forest or back to Oz." Emma said.

"That could maybe work. Offer her a life elsewhere." Mary-Margaret said.

"I don't think Robin would want to be separated from his child…" Regina said. She sighed and rested her head on the table. How were they going to work round this?


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's a chapter for you all. How are we all enjoying the new season of Once? I am enjoying it so much. Dark Swan is awesome!**

* * *

The three men returned, wand in hand. Henry told them about what he had come up with, for Zelena being the one to get them to Camelot. He asked them if they had any ideas on how to get Zelena to help them but neither of them had a clue how they could convince Zelena.

"There is no way she will help me so we may as well just give up now." Regina sighed and leaned back on the chair she was sitting on.

"No Regina we can't give up." Mary-Margaret said.

"I dare you to give me a hope speech…I really do dare you…" Regina hissed out and glared at Mary-Margaret.

"Regina, come on. Everyone is just trying to help you. Mary-Margaret is right. We can't give up. There must be something we can give Zelena for her to help us." Robin said.

"Well it has appeared that all she has wanted is to ruin my life. I haven't heard her ask for anything else." Regina said.

"Well what about what I suggested before? Giving her freedom but sending her back to Oz? I am sure she would go for that." Emma said.

"Yes and what is to stop her from coming back and ruining our lives all over again? And what about Robin? She is after all carrying his child." Regina said.

They all looked over to Robin. And Robin ran his fingers through his hair. He was not one to give up on his child. His own flesh and blood but maybe he could figure out a way to somehow find his child again. He knew he needed to help Regina. "I think Zelena would go for it. We just have to make sure there is no way she can return here. I…well I can find a way one day to find my child."

"Robin I can't ask you to do this for me…" Regina said standing up and walking over to him. "I cannot ask you to give up a life with your child to help me. There has to be another way around this."

"There isn't Regina." Robin said cupping her cheek in his hand. "This is how it has to be."

* * *

They made their way down to the ward Zelena was being held in. Regina was still debating with herself on whether they should do this. Could they trust Zelena? She didn't have to ask herself that. She already knew the answer to that. They couldn't trust Zelena. There was no way she could take the cuff off of Zelena and trust her to use her magic for good. As they reached the bottom of the stairs Regina stopped. Robin glanced back not hearing the familiar click-clacking of Regina's heels behind him.

"Regina what's wrong?" Robin asked walking back towards her.

"We can't do this." Regina said simply.

"Regina…" Robin sighed. He took her hands in his holding onto them tightly. "I thought we discussed this. This is the only way we can get to Camelot and find a way to help you. We have to do this."

"I know but I can't trust her. I can't trust my sister to use magic for good. Even if we do promise her freedom, as soon as we take that cuff off of her arm she has full use of her magic again and she can attack us and escape all she wants." Regina said. "This could all go wrong…no this _will_ go all wrong. I just know it will."

"What else do you suggest we do Regina?" Robin asked. "Zelena is the one who can work the wand to send us to Camelot. There is no one else we can go to."

"I just…I don't think this is a good idea." Regina said.

"It will all be fine. You will see." Robin said leaning forward and placing a soft kiss to her lips. Regina sighed but she let Robin guide her away towards the cell where Zelena was being held.

"Hello sis, how's fighting the darkness? Only last time I saw you, you didn't seem to be doing awfully well with it…but be your weak nature." Zelena said with a smirk and a shrug of her shoulders. She knew it was probably dangerous winding Regina up but what else was she meant to do.

"I'll show you weak nature…" Regina snarled about to step towards her older sister but Robin place a hand on her arm stopping her from moving.

"Don't let her goad you Regina." He whispered into her ear.

"You see their little sis you were going to give into the darkness weren't you?" Zelena said with a smug smile.

"Oh believe me it's not just giving into the darkness when I want to give you a slap." Regina muttered.

Zelena rolled her eyes and then stood up from the bed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit anyway?"

"We need your help." Robin said simply.

Zelena let out a cackle and threw her head back. Her eyes shone with mischief. "Oh the irony. You need my help do you? With what?"

"We need to get to Camelot and Henry thinks you are the one who can use this wand to take us there." Emma said holding up the wand.

"Oh I see…" Zelena smirked.

"Help us Zelena. We can get rid of the darkness that is around us once and for all." Henry said stepping up beside Regina and taking her hand in his. "We need to help mom."

"Well I suppose I could help…" Zelena said slowly.

"You'll help?" Regina asked raising an eyebrow at her older sister.

"I could…but I need to see that wand first." Zelena said. Emma was about to step forward and hand the wand to Zelena but Regina placed her arm out stopping Emma in her steps. Zelena rolled her eyes but smirked at her sisters untrusting eyes. "Don't worry dear. This bracelet here neutralizes my magic. I cannot do a thing with it on now can I?"

Regina just stared at Zelena. She still didn't trust the witch even if that bracelet did stop her magic. "Regina it will be fine." Emma said placing a hand on her shoulder. "We are all here if she tries something." Regina sighed and nodded her head, moving her arm back down to her side. Emma stepped forward and handed the wand to Zelena.

Zelena held the wand in her hands examining it. "Ah yes so simple. You simply need an object to lead you to your destination." Zelena explained as she continued to look over the wand. "Or perhaps a thought."

"Fine." Regina said sharply and stepped forward grabbing the wand from Zelena's hands. "That we can do." she said as she went to walk out of the cell. She could feel all her dark feelings rising up every second she spent in the cell with Zelena. She knew if she spent much longer in there the darkness would take over and she wouldn't be accountable for what she would do when that happened. The darkness would take advantage of how she felt about Zelena.

"Not without me sis." Zelena smirked. Regina stopped and turned to look at Zelena, a death glare she had perfected from her mother. "Your magic isn't powerful enough." Zelena shrugged.

"Can you use the wand to take us?" Henry asked.

"Well of course I could, if we took this off." Zelena said holding up her arm to show off the black bracelet containing her magic.

"That is not coming off you." Regina snarled.

"Well you are going nowhere then." Zelena threw back.

"Regina this is our only way." Emma said. "We need Zelena to get us to Camelot."

"I don't trust her." Regina said quietly.

"We have to try my love. If we don't go to Camelot we won't be able to remove the darkness from you." Robin said cupping her cheek with his hand. "We have to remove that bracelet from Zelena's arm. We need to get to Camelot to save you."

Regina sighed and rested her forehead against Robin's. She knew they were right. It was what they needed to do but it didn't make it any easier. She looked over towards her older sister, glare on her face. Pulling away from Robin she walked over to Zelena, slowly and menacingly. "I will take that off your arm, you will open the portal to get us to Camelot and then it will go back on your arm. You will come with us and will be on watch until we find what we are looking for and the will return back here. Do we have a clear understanding of how things are going to work?" Regina said slowly. "If we don't I can always let you see my dark side again…"

"We have an understanding." Zelena said quickly. She had enjoyed winding Regina up but right now with Regina being the dark one she knew when to back down.

"Good. Let's go." Regina said whirling round and walking out of the cell quickly. She felt weak and dizzy trying as hard as she could to fight off the darkness that wanted to break into her. She walked down the corridor a little, Robin, Henry and Mary-Margaret following behind while Emma and David got Zelena. Regina could everything spinning but tried hard to ignore it and calm herself down. She reached out to the wall leaning against it to stop herself from falling.

"Regina are you okay?" Robin asked as he rushed over to her.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." Regina said leaning into Robin as he wrapped his arms around her. "I think I just need to sit down for a moment." Robin nodded and he helped hr over to the steps and sat her down.

"Are you sure your okay mom?" Henry asked as he walked over to where she was sitting. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her.

Regina nodded her head and gave Henry a small smile. "Of course. Just a little dizzy is all. I'm sure it's nothing Henry."

"Is it the darkness?" Henry asked.

Regina sighed but nodded her head. She knew it was useless trying to hide anything from Henry. He was too smart for that. "I think so…but I'll be okay. We just need to get to Camelot."

Henry smiled at Regina and pushed himself up from the step. "That's the next thing we do." He said determinedly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Here is another chapter for you guys. I hope you enjoy it!** **I have decided, if people would like, to perhaps start taking prompts from people and write some one shots in between writing stories so if anyone has a prompt they would like me to write feel free to ask. I would probably be best at writing Outlaw queen, Evil Charming, Golden Queen (As in father/daughter), maybe a wee bit of Henry and Regina mother and son moments and am happy to give swan queen a go if anyone wants. So feel free to ask if you have any ideas :-)**

* * *

They had made it to Camelot and the first thing Regina did was place the black leather cuff back on Zelena's arm to trap her magic once more. Zelena may have gotten them to Camelot but it did not mean she trusted her older sister in any way.

"Is this really necessary? I got you to this damn place yet I still need to wear this…" Zelena whined as she held up her wrist.

"Yes it is." Regina hissed. "You may have gotten us here but that does not mean I trust you."

Zelena rolled her eyes but didn't say another word, thinking it wise not to provoke her sister any more. They made their way through the forest and soon found themselves confronted with three men, dressed in armour sitting on horses.

"Visitors…It is not often we have visitors to Camelot these days." One man said as he jumped from his horse and walked towards them.

"We are here to find someone. Someone who can help us." Emma said.

"May I ask who you are here to find? Perhaps I can assist you." The man replied and as he looked from each person he could see the distrustful eyes. "Let me introduce myself. I am King Arthur of Camelot." He said giving a slight bow.

"King Arthur…cool." Henry whispered in awe and Regina smirked a little as Henry's childhood innocence shone through.

"And who may I ask are you?" The King asked.

"Erm…Well…" Emma started but looked to the rest to see if she should answer truthfully or make something up.

"We come from a land far from here. A land that is in some danger." David spoke up, stepping to the front to address the King. "We are looking for Merlin. We have been told he is the only person who may help us against this danger we are facing." David explained deciding to only tell half the truth.

"And what would this danger be that you should require the help of Merlin?" The King asked.

"Our town is facing the dark one." David said holding back on revealing who the dark one was.

"The dark one…" King Arthur said as he glanced back to who could only be presumed as his knights. "We are aware of this demon." Regina flinched at King Arthur's words and Robin placed his arm around her waist holding her close to him. "You are indeed in some danger but I am afraid you will not find what you are looking for here."

Henry frowned and stepped forward. "But Merlin lives in Camelot. It says so right here in my book." He said pulling out the book he had been reading.

"Your book is right, Merlin did once live in Camelot but I am afraid Merlin is no more." King Arthur said. "We lost Merlin many years ago."

"What? But…what are we meant to do?" Regina asked a desperate look on her face. "I need him to face this darkness…" Regina said before she realised what she was saying. " _We_ need him."

"I am sorry to bring you this bad news." King Arthur said. "However there was something left behind that may be of some help to you…"

"What? What was left behind?" Regina asked pulling away from Robin.

"If you would come with me I can show you. I am not entirely sure if it can help you but legend tells me that it could be of some use." The King explained.

Regina turned to look at the group as if asking them what they should do. It was Robin who stepped towards Regina, giving her a comforting smile. "If it will help us then we should go." He said and then turned to King Arthur. "Lead the way."

* * *

King Arthur had led them to his castle. Henry had been in awe as soon as they had arrived and was desperate to look around but had a feeling he would not be able to. King Arthur had led them to a tower and as soon as they were all inside he walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a key from a drawer.

He unlocked the door and brought out a small wooden box. He placed it on the table and looked up at the group of people in front of him. "This is what I think may help you."

"A box?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. "You think a small wooden box is going to help us against the dark one?"

"Regina…we should at least hear King Arthur out. He has been kind enough to bring us here." Mary-Margaret said and Regina rolled her eyes and muttered a _whatever_.

"How will this box help us?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"This is Pandora's box and it is said that once the darkness is free if you open the box it will be dragged into it and trapped for eternity. Well just as long and nobody opens it again." King Arthur explained. "It is said that the box was forged by Merlin's magic himself to stop this dark force."

"But what if this darkness is tethered to someone?" Robin asked as he held onto Regina's hand.

"The only way to trap the darkness into the box is for it to be free from a body. For its possession to be up in the air. It would need to be released from the person." King Arthur said. "Which I understand would mean killing the person it was tethered to."

"Is there no other way?" Mary-Margaret asked the question everyone was thinking.

"Not that I know of." King Arthur replied.

"Is there a price for the box?" Regina asked suddenly.

Arthur looked from Regina and then down to the box sitting on the table. He shook his head and he gently pushed the box across the table towards Regina. "No price. It appears you have better need for it than we do here in Camelot. I do hope you can trap this demon once and for all. Finish Merlin's work finally."

"Thank you." Regina whispered as she picked the box up from the table.

* * *

Using Zelena's magic once more they had found themselves travelling back to Storybrooke and once again as soon as they had arrived the black leather cuff found its way back onto Zelena's wrist. David and Robin took Zelena back to the hospital while Mary-Margaret, Emma, Henry and Regina all made their way back to the mansion, Regina carrying the wooden box that could potentially help her.

They walked in silence , none of them really knowing what to say, King Arthurs words echoing in their minds. _The only way to trap the darkness into the box is for it to be free from a body. For its possession to be up in the air. It would need to be released from the person… Which I understand would mean killing the person it was tethered to._ They all knew what that could mean and they all knew they wanted to figure out a way to deal with this darkness without anyone having to die. What they didn't know was how they could do this…

They soon got to the mansion and Regina opened the door and walked in, leaving the door open for the others to follow. Regina took her coat off and hung it on the coat stand before making her way into the living room, sitting on the sofa and placing Pandora's box down onto the coffee table. Mary-Margaret, Emma and Henry followed Regina, Mary-Margaret and Emma choosing to sit on the two arm chairs while Henry sat on the sofa beside Regina.

"So Pandora's box huh?" Emma said breaking the very long silence. "I thought that was a totally different story and nothing to do with Merlin and all that…"

"It is…well that's how it has been written in this world anyway…" Henry said staring at the box sitting on the coffee table. "But then it all kind of makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked frowning a little in confusion. It never ceased to amaze her how smart Henry could be. He may have been hers genetically but it did not stop him following in Regina's footsteps in certain aspects and she would say intelligence was one of them.

"Well Pandora's box is said to contain all the evils of the world and leaving only hope once the box is closed. Of course in this world it is told the box belongs to Pandora who was apparently the first woman on earth. But perhaps it wasn't quite the truth. After all that is Greek Mythology. I mean when have any of the stories here worked out the way they thought they should. The fairytales and stories here are completely different from what has actually happened." Henry said.

"Your too smart for your own good kid." Emma smiled. "But what you said does make sense. None of the fairytales I grew up with have turned out the way the stories here do. There is always something different. I guess I should have expected it right?"

"Not much fun if you expect it." Henry smirked.

"So what are we going to do?" Mary-Margaret asked. "I mean from what King Arthur said…" Mary-Margaret trailed off. She didn't want to be the one to say it.

"Go on…you can say it." Regina said looking up at them. "I am going to have to die to get rid of this darkness."

"Regina we are not going to let that happen." Emma said firmly. "There has to be another way…"

"Please don't start with the whole hope crap." Regina sighed and closed her eyes. She rested her head in her hands for a minute. It was all becoming too much and she couldn't see another way to get rid of the darkness inside of her. "Maybe I need to let it just consume me. Maybe I will be able to control it more than I think."

"Do you really believe that Regina?" Mary-Margaret asked. "The couple of times it has taken over you have you felt any control at all?"

Regina sighed and shook her head. "No…"

"Mom we can figure this out. Like Ma said there has to be another way. There always is. I am not about to lose you in any way." Henry said placing his hand on Regina's knee.

Regina gave Henry a watery smile. She so badly wanted to hold all her emotions together but she was really beginning to find it hard. "Thank you…" Regina whispered and Henry leaned over and wrapped his arms around his mother. Regina held onto him tightly and took a deep breath. She wanted to believe there could be another way but she was finding it hard to believe in any kind of hope.

* * *

 **So guys what do you think of my slight twist of getting rid of the dark one? I am sorry if the whole visit to Camelot felt rushed but I really didn't want to dwell on it as I wasn't going to follow the show on the whole Camelot thing. But I have much more planned.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! I return with a chapter. In this we have Regina starting to go a little mad with the darkness. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Regina lay in her bed in Robin's arms trying to sleep but her mind seemed to be working overdrive. She thought about everything King Arthur had said and everything she knew about Pandora's box and the Dark one. She feared the worst. Everyone had tried giving her the hope speech. Telling her they would find another way to get the darkness out of her but Regina seen only one way to do it.

Everyone knew to rid the darkness out of the dark one they need to be killed by the dagger. There was no other way. It was all that could be done no matter how much hope people had it was the only thing they could do. Regina sighed and she moved a little glancing up at a sleeping Robin. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about the people she loved, her family that she would lose and would in turn lose her when the time came.

She would have to do it. To save them. She couldn't let the darkness consume her. She had seen what it done to Rumplestiltskin. He lost all the ones he loved. That was what the darkness eventually did to the person that possessed it. Pushed all their loved ones away until they clung to the darkness and power with everything they had left. She wouldn't let that happen to her, not again. She couldn't. She sighed again and slowly pushed herself up and out of Robin's arms and slowly slid across the bed and over to the edge. She pushed herself out of the bed and made her way into the ensuite bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

Walking over to the mirror that ran from one end of the wall to the other she ran her fingers through her hair and then leaned against the counter. She reached over turning on the tap and gathered some water in her hands and splashed her face a little. She grabbed the hand towel and brought it to her face, wiping it and letting out a deep breath as she glanced up to the mirror. She gasped and dropped the towel and she looked at her reflection. Her skin seemed to sparkle in the light, not quite like Rumpelstiltskin's. Not gold, but sparkling. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, rubbing her eyes before opening them again and looking in the mirror again to see her skin back to normal.

 _You liked it. I know you did. See what you would look like if you only let the power in. You could be invincible. Think how you could protect the family you love so much._

Regina shook her head again. "No. That's not what you want from me." Regina muttered staring into the mirror. "You don't want me to protect my family."

 _I want you to give into what you inevitably can't fight against. You of all people know the darkness is a strong pull. You can't deny me for much longer. Think of the power you could possess._

"No." Regina muttered, gripping onto the edge of the counter. "I don't want it! I don't want your power!"

 _You can tell yourself you don't want it Regina but I know the truth. Deep down you like the pull of the darkness once more. It puts you in a safe place, you remember it well. It was the only thing you had at one point. They will all turn on you Regina. They all know what they need to do to get rid of the darkness in you, you really think there will ever be another way to rid yourself of me?_

Regina shook her head and closed her eyes swallowing back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Stop it." She whispered and she kept repeating it over and over and over again, getting louder and louder each time she repeated it. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Get out of my head!" Regina shouted and she slammed her hands down on the bathroom counter. Magic flew out from her hands causing the mirror to shatter. Regina gasped and pushed herself away from the counter, looking down at her hands she saw her skin sparkling once more.

"Regina? Regina are you okay in there? What's going on?" Robin shouted through the door, thumping his fist on it. She could hear the worry in his voice. "Regina let me in. Open the door."

Regina's back hit the wall and she slid down, bringing her knees up to her chest she finally let the tears fall and she cried and cried letting all her built up emotions out. Robin, thumped against the door and finally it flew open. He darted in and looked around the bathroom seeing the shattered mirror and then his eyes landed on a broken looking Regina in the corner of the room, cuddling her legs and crying her heart out. He slowly walked over to her and crouched down beside her.

"Regina…what's going on? What happened?" Robin asked softly. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to hold her but he didn't want to scare her. He had no idea what was going on.

"I can't get rid of it. It won't stop. It won't go away." Regina said as she stared out, looking anywhere but at Robin. "I told it to stop, I wanted it to stop!" She said, a sob escaping her. Robin shuffled closer to Regina and slowly moved his arm around her shoulders. She didn't flinch away so he pulled her closer to him, holding onto her as tight as he could. "I can't escape the voice." Regina whispered, clutching onto Robin, a fistful of his top. "It's always there, taunting me, reminding me of who I once was and encouraging me to give in. I can't take it any more Robin."

Robin kissed the top of her head and continued to hold her. He wanted to help her. More than anything he wanted to but he had no idea how to help her. "It's going to be alright Regina. We are going to figure out a way to save you. I won't let that darkness take you."

"It's already started Robin." Regina said, holding her hands out in front of them. Her skin sparkling like stars in a night sky. "Look at my hands, my skin is changing."

Robin frowned as he looked down at Regina's hands. He saw no change. Her skin looked like it always did, soft olive skin. "Your hands look fine to me love." Robin replied.

"What?" Regina asked pulling away from Robin slightly. "What do you mean they look fine?! Look at them. My skin is changing. Just like Rumplestiltskin's did. It's not exactly the same…it's not gold but it is changing. Look at my hands." Regina said holding them a little closer to Robin.

Robin took Regina's hands in his and he kissed each one and then looked up at Regina. "I see no change Regina. Your hands look the same as they always do."

Regina looked confused. She looked down at her hands, seeing the change that clearly Robin couldn't see. She didn't understand. Why was she the only one to see this change? "I want it all to go away…" She whispered, letting her shoulders sag a little and leaning back into Robin. She was tired, so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep. She rested her head on Robin's chest, holding onto him she closed her eyes and let the sleep she needed take over her.

"We are working on it Regina. No matter what I will save you from this." Robin said with a sigh as he held onto Regina and let her sleep in his arms for a bit.

The next morning Robin had convinced Regina to stay in bed for a bit longer and rest after the events of the night before. He had tucked her back into bed, kissed the top of her head and whispered his 'I love yous' to her while he stroked her hair and guided her off into what he hoped would be a peaceful sleep.

When she had finally fallen to sleep he slowly and quietly walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and turning round to come face to face with Henry. "What's going on Robin?" Henry asked. Robin motioned for Henry to be quiet before motioning for Henry to follow him. They walked down stairs and through to the kitchen where Robin went about making some coffee (something Regina had shown him how to do. It took many times before he perfected it like she had). "What's going on Robin?" Henry repeated leaning on the counter and giving Robin a look that really reminded him of Regina. It made him smile a little.

"Your mother is just a little tired. She didn't sleep well last night." Robin replied.

"I know. I heard…whatever happened last night…I heard her crying…" Henry sighed.

"What else did you hear?" Robin asked, stopping what he was doing and walking over to Henry. He leaned on the counter and looked at the boy.

"I heard her talking about the darkness already working on her…and something about her skin looking different. She seemed really scared and…confused I guess…I've never seen her like that before." Henry said.

Robin sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He knew Regina didn't like to let Henry know everything that was going on. Still seen him as her little prince, the little baby boy that she had raised but Robin also knew that Henry was not going to settle with anything less than the truth from Robin. He wanted to help and protect his mother. "She is scared and I think she is beginning to become a little confused with whatever is going on." Robin started trying to figure out what to say.

"What did she mean about her skin changing?" Henry asked.

"Hey do you still have that book? Your fairytale book?" Robin asked and Henry nodded. "Go get it…" Henry frowned in confusion but he pushed away from the counter and left the room to go and get his book anyway. He soon returned, book in hand, and walked back over to Robin placing the book on the counter. He watched as Robin flicked through the book and landed on a page of Rumplestiltskin as the dark one. "Now I don't know if you ever saw Rumplestiltskin as the dark one, I mean the proper version when he was in the Enchanted Forest…" Henry shook his head. "Well his skin…it was like gold…it sparkled like gold and your mother well she kept telling me last night that her skin was changing. She said it was sparkling." Robin tried to explain.

"Like Rumplestiltskin's? Her skin is turning Gold?" Henry asked.

"Well your mother said it wasn't exactly like Rumplestiltskin's. It sparkled but it wasn't gold. I think Rumplestiltskin's being gold was perhaps due to the whole spinning straw into gold thing. So your mothers would be different I guess." Robin said.

"But you said to her she looked the same…" Henry said.

Robin nodded his head. "I did. I couldn't see any changes."

"Why? Surely if the darkness is trying to take over her we would all see it…" Henry said.

"Well I'm not sure. I think this is perhaps a way for the darkness to mess around with your mother. She kept saying something about it taunting her, it wouldn't stop and it wouldn't go away. She has told me before about it telling her she needed to let it consume her so I think…"

"The darkness is talking to her." Henry finished. "I already worked something like that out."

"You did?" Robin asked.

Henry nodded his head. "I have been working out a way to try and stop the darkness getting to mom, long enough to perhaps work out how to get it out of mom."

"The locket?" Robin said.

"That was part of it. I'm still trying to figure out how to maybe get rid of what I think must be a voice in her head. The darkness is probably talking to her and that's what she means by it taunting her. It is taunting her and pushing her trying to get her to just accept it, but if we can get a way to maybe shut down that voice then she can fight harder against it." Henry explained.

"You're a smart boy Henry." Robin said with a smile on his face.

"Well not smart enough. I still haven't figured out exactly how to shut out the voice." Henry sighed.

"That's not your job Henry." Regina said making both Robin and Henry jump and turn around to face her. "You don't have to look after me or figure out a way to shut out what is in my head."

"Yes I do." Henry said firmly walking over to Regina. "I'm your son and as your son it is my job to protect you when something is trying to hurt you or get to you. No matter what you say that is what I am going to do mom."

Regina gave Henry a watery eyed smile and she opened her arms letting Henry fall into them and holding him close to her. "I love you Henry."

"I love you too mom." Henry replied. He then pulled away a little and looked up at her. "And don't worry. We are going to fix all of this. We will help you mom."


	10. Chapter 10

**I seem to have really had the writing bug recently and I hope it continues. So here is another chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it. Here I am introducing someone new to the story.**

* * *

A darkness had taken over Storybrooke and it wasn't anything to do with the darkness in Regina. Two weeks had passed and Regina had become quieter and quieter as the weeks had passed. She had not mentioned the voice of the dark one or the changing of her skin again and neither Robin nor Henry asked her about it deciding if Regina wanted to talk about it she would. They didn't want to push her.

But everyone could see the darkness was taking its toll on Regina. It was clear she really was beginning to struggle to contain the darkness festering inside of her, reining in her temper was beginning to become harder and harder.

However the darkness over Storybrooke had developed over the last few hours of the day. A storm had brewed and eventually broke out causing everyone to flee to their homes to hide from the torrential rain and the clapping of the thunder along with the striking of the lightening. Everyone put this storm down to the strange weather of Maine but really they should have been looking a little deeper into it.

For a tall skinny man with jet black robes and blue hair like flames covering his head walked down the main street of Storybrooke looking around him with a smirk at the devastation he was creating with the storm. He was looking for someone. An old friend, well perhaps not a friend. She had been a young woman when they had met. A young woman entering into darkness and desperate enough to make a deal with him to get what she wanted. He possessed one ingredient she had needed for her curse and in exchange for this ingredient she had told she would give him anything he wanted.

 _"What could I give you that would make you consider giving me what I want?"_ She had asked.

 _"Your soul dear."_ He had replied. She had hesitated, well who wouldn't when being asked to give up their soul? But it didn't take much to convince her, waving the ingredient in front of her eyes and playing on her desperate need to cast the curse that she thought would give her the happy ending she deserved. _"A deal. Your soul for the ingredient."_ He had said holding out his long, skinny grey hand to her.

 _"If you have my soul what will you have me do?"_ She has asked, and he liked her. She had fire in her and made sure to get all details before making her deal. Smart girl.

 _"Collect me one hundred hearts in ten years"_ he had replied. He had heard of her, knew how she worked, what she did.

 _"And if I don't do that?"_ She had asked and he had smirked at her.

 _"Then you soul is mine completely. But if you succeed then I shall return your soul to you."_ He told her.

So now he had tracked her down to collect what she owed him. She had not succeeded in her task, missing three hearts of the one hundred. It was time she was his, completely and forever.

"Pain…Panic…" Hades called to his little demons. He held out a scarf of hers and they sniffed at it collecting her scent to their memories. "Take me to her." Hades ordered and started to follow his little demons as the scampered off.

* * *

"Do you really think this is just Maine weather?" Emma asked as she peered out of the window of the mansion where she, the Charmings, Henry, Robin and Regina were hiding out.

Mary-Margaret shrugged her shoulders and sat down in one of the arm chairs. "I'm not sure. We have had storms like this before."

"Really? I don't remember anything like this before. That is mad out there!" Emma replied.

"It's just a bit of wind and rain." Regina replied rolling her eyes at Emma.

"Just a bit of wind and rain?" Emma repeated her voice going slightly higher. "You are kidding me right Regina? That is not just a bit of wind and rain. I think there is something up with it. That isn't just Maine weather."

"Why does there always have to be another reason behind something? Why can't it just be the simple answer of Maine weather?" Regina asked in annoyance.

"I don't know I just have this feeling." Emma replied shrugging her shoulders. Regina was just about to answer when a loud knock sounded throughout the house almost echoing. Everyone frowned and looked out to the foyer. "Who the hell would be out in this?" Emma asked.

"Well I don't know Miss Swan I can't quite see through solid wooden doors." Regina replied sarcastically as she walked out of the living room and headed towards the front door.

Emma peered out of the window trying to see who was stood outside of the house. She had a bad feeling. She couldn't quite explain it but she had a bad feeling about this. She pushed herself away from the window and quickly weaved her way through the people and furniture in the living room heading towards the foyer. "Wait Regina! I don't think you should…" Emma started just as Regina opened the door and found herself being flung back by a magical force squealing a little as it happened. "Regina!" Emma gasped and ran over to where Regina had fallen down. "Are you okay?" Emma asked as she helped Regina up.

"Oh yes fantastic." Regina snapped back, but clung onto Emma letting her help her up.

Emma looked over to the door to see a tall skinny man in jet black robes and blue hair like flames walking into the house, a smirk on his face, two small monster like creatures following behind him. One a purple colour and one a green colour. "Who the hell are you and what are those?" Emma demanded as she looked the man and the creatures over.

Regina looked up at Emma's questioning and gasped as she saw exactly who and what was stood in her house. Having been blasted away from the door previously she had not managed to see who the culprit had been. "Oh god…" Regina whispered and she stepped back a little her back hitting the wall behind.

"Hello Regina…" Hades hissed out with an evil smile on his face. "It is so nice to see you again…"

"I…I wish I could say the same…" Regina replied holding herself up a little more to try and look confident but she knew Hades would see right through her. Regina glanced over and saw Mary-Margaret, David, Robin and Henry now stood in the foyer, Robin placing a protective arm in front of Henry. She then looked back at Hades. She needed to get rid of him. She didn't want him anywhere near her family, especially her son.

"Regina who the hell is this?" Emma asked glancing from Regina and back to the man.

"I have come to collect on my debt Regina. You owe me…" Hades said stepping towards her.

"I…I can get you what you want. Give me some time and I will get it for you." Regina said quickly. She knew exactly why Hades had come to her.

"Oh now Regina that was not part of our deal. You were tricky to find my dear." Hades said quietly stepping ever closer to Regina, his hand moving out and his long skinny fingers rubbing against her cheek making her gasp. She moved her head away from his touch.

"I…I have what you need I promise you." Regina said. She just wanted him to leave. She wanted him away from her son. "I will give it to you. Name the time and I will have what you are owed by then."

Hades smirked at Regina and looked to his little demons. "What do you think guys? Should we give her time?" He asked them.

The little demons bounced about at their feet and snickered. Regina rolled her eyes at them. She had always hated the little things. "Make her squirm master." Pain screeched out.

Hades laugh bellowed around the room . "Alright Regina. I will give you until midnight, meet me on Main Street by the clock tower. Have what you owe me or your mine." He said and then with a wave of his hand grey smoke swirled around him and his little demons making them disappear.

Regina let out a breath she had not even realised she had been holding and she slouched against the wall. Mary-Margaret rushed over to the front door and closed it again, everyone turning to look at Regina with questioning looks.

"Regina…Who was that?" Emma asked again.

"That…was Hades. Lord of the underworld." Regina replied swallowing back the lump in her throat.

* * *

 **Yes Hades, Lord of the underworld is here. If you have heard the rumors of what may be involved in 5b of OUAT you will know of perhaps Hades coming into it. I couldn't believe it as I had planned to bring Hades into my story from the very beginning. As you could probably gather I have based Hades off the Disney Hercules version. I just loved him when I was younger.**


	11. Chapter 11

**So I hope you enjoyed my twist and introduction of a new character. He is not in Storybrooke to be good I will say that.**

* * *

"Hades? Lord of the underworld?" Emma repeated, her voice adopting a higher pitch to it.

"He said you made a deal with him." Robin said stepping over to Regina and taking her hand in his giving it a comforting squeeze. "Regina what deal did you make with that demon?" Robin asked her.

"He's not a demon. Those little pets of his are demons. He is a god." Regina replied simply avoiding the question.

"Regina this is not the time for a lesson on who is a god and who is not. Answer Robin's question, what is the deal you made with him?" Emma said firmly.

Regina sighed and she leaned against the wall closing her eyes a little. She didn't know why she had been so foolish enough to think Hades wouldn't find her here. What made her think casting a curse and moving to another realm would stop Hades, Lord of the underworld from finding her and collecting on her debt. "I had been desperate. He had an ingredient I needed to cast the curse. He was the only one who had it. So I summoned him."

"You summoned the lord of the underworld because you wanted an ingredient for the curse? Surely you couldn't have been that desperate? The threat is in his name." David said, receiving a glare from Regina.

"Well I think it is quite clear that I was desperate enough to do just that." Regina replied back sarcastically rolling her eyes at him. "But of course Hades would not just give me the ingredient I had to make a deal for it so…I…" Regina started but trailed off. This was one deal she had always regretted making.

"You traded your soul for the ingredient." Henry finished for her, his fairytale book in hand and open. Everyone looked over at him surprised with his answer. "It's in the book. I don't know how or why I never saw it before."

Regina frowned and pushed off the wall, walking over to Henry and looking down at the book. There she saw in the picture herself and Hades. "Perhaps because you were never looking for it." Regina replied.

"You traded your soul for the ingredient?" Mary-Margaret asked. "But why? Was the ingredient that important? You could not have gotten it elsewhere?"

Regina sighed. "Yes it was important and without it the curse would not have worked and like I said before he was the only person who had the ingredient. There was nowhere else I could have gotten it and at the time I was desperate so lost in my anger, revenge and darkness that I would do just about anything to get what I wanted. So yes I traded my soul to him to get the ingredient."

"But then why are you still here? Should you not be down in the underworld if he has your soul?" Emma asked.

Regina shook her head. "The deal was I would collect one hundred hearts for him in ten years. If I succeed then I could have my soul back…"

"And if you didn't succeed?" Robin asked worry showing on his face.

"Then my soul goes to Hades completely and forever." Regina replied a scared look on her face.

"Why the hell would you make a deal like that?" David asked.

"Because I didn't think I would fail it. I'm not sure if you remember but I was quite adapt at ripping a heart or two out at that time. When I cast the curse I was a couple off the one hundred but I don't know I convinced myself that if I cast the curse and moved to another realm he wouldn't find me and I would be okay. The curse seemed to keep him away from me but now it is broken…" Regina explained.

"It has opened you up to his sight." Mary-Margaret said and Regina nodded her head.

"I was foolish to think he would never find me. I just convinced myself too much of it and then with everything that has happened since the curse breaking I guess I just…forgot…" Regina said shrugging her shoulders a little.

"Forgot? You couldn't just forget something like that." Emma said in disbelief.

"Well I did Miss Swan." Regina snapped.

"So what are you going to do Regina?" Robin asked interrupting a potential fight between the saviour and the dark one who was fighting to show through in Regina. "Do you have the hearts you need to give him?"

"I…I would need to go to my vault and see if there are some hearts still down there but…I gave the hearts back when I tried to redeem myself after the first curse broke. I'm not sure if I have any left." Regina replied.

"But if you don't have the hearts then that means Hades will take you …" Henry said.

"We're not gonna let that happen kid." Emma said firmly hoping to convince not only Henry but herself. This was a battle she had not been prepared for.

* * *

Regina, Emma and Robin appeared in Regina's vault, purple smoke swirling around them before disappearing. Emma and Robin looked around them while Regina moved off towards a wall covered in brown wooden boxes. Regina began pulling out boxes and letting them fall to the floor.

"Regina what are you doing?" Emma asked.

"Looking to see if I have any hearts. This is where I kept them." Regina replied continuing to pull out the boxes. Both Emma and Robin moved over and done the same as Regina.

Regina reached for the last box, seeing it empty she turned and threw if with great force it hitting the wall with a loud thump before breaking into pieces and falling to the ground. "What am I going to do?" Regina asked worry showing through her voice. "There is no way I am going to get three hearts."

"Why don't we go to the morgue? There will be hearts people aren't using there right?" Emma suggested.

"He wants a working heart Emma. A heart not beating is useless to him." Regina sighed.

"Right…okay…" Emma nodded trying to rifle through her brain for an idea.

"What about the heart of an animal?" Robin asked. "Would he know the difference?"

"He is the lord of the underworld I have an idea that he would probably know the difference between a human heart and an animal's heart." Regina replied. She sighed and it really hit her what she was going to have to do. "I am just going to have to give myself to him. There is no other way. I cannot break the deal with him. He will find me no matter what and take me anyway."

"No Regina we will figure out another way." Robin said firmly.

"There is no other way Robin." Regina said with tears in her eyes. "Hades will not take back the deal and I cannot get three beating human hearts unless I rip them out of three people now."

"Okay…you will meet Hades tonight and tell him you cannot get the last three hearts and let him think you are surrendering yourself to him." Emma said.

"Which I am doing since there is no other way." Regina said interrupting Emma.

"No I will figure out another way to get you out of this deal. There has to be something. I'm the saviour it's my job to figure this out, right?" Emma said causing Regina to roll her eyes at the blonde. "I am going to figure this out Regina. You are not giving your soul to him." Emma said placing her hand on Regina's forearm and giving a slight squeeze.

* * *

It was midnight and Regina, Robin, Emma, Mary-Margaret and David were all standing on Main Street by the clock tower waiting for Hades to appear. Regina knew Hades would be late. He liked to make an entrance. She paced up and down the pathway, a hand on her hip and the other hand in her hair. She was nervous. She couldn't deny that. Emma had insisted she would figure out a way to stop Hades but she had yet to actually come up with anything and tell everyone. Regina stopped turning to look at the others.

"I think you should all go. I don't think you should be here when Hades arrives." Regina said.

"We are not leaving you Regina." Robin said firmly walking towards Regina, taking on hand in his and placing a hand on her cheek. "I am not leaving you alone with him."

"I will be fine Robin." Regina said softly although she wasn't sure if she was all that convincing as she wasn't sure herself if she would be fine. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Aw how sweet." A voice from behind them came making them all jump. Robin held on tighter to Regina's hand as they turned to see Hades and his little demons, Pain and Panic standing behind them. "But I am afraid my dear Regina that your time is up. Have you brought what you owe me? Or do you owe me yourself instead?" Hades asked with a smirk on his face, Pain and Panic bouncing around at his feet and grinning evilly at Regina.

"I…" Regina started but Emma burst through, a bag in hand holding it up and speaking up before Regina had the chance.

"Here is what you are owed." Emma said handing the bag to Hades. "There should be the three hearts in there. Right Regina?" Emma said turning to Regina and receiving a glare from her.

Hades took the bag from Emma, glancing over at Regina who was trying as hard as she could to hide her anger towards Emma but she was finding it hard. She had no idea what Emma was up to but she just hoped it worked. Hades opened the bag and then looked up at Regina. "Is this a joke?" He asked and Regina felt deflated at that question. What had Emma done?

"Wha…What do you mean?" Regina asked nervously.

"One these are not beating hearts like we discussed in our deal and two these are not human hearts. They are horses hearts." Hades said pulling out one of the hearts and crushing it in his hands. "Did you really think you could fool me Regina?" His voice bounded around the street as he threw the bag to the ground and pulled Regina towards him using magic.

"N-no Hades. I'm sorry. I…" Regina said but she could feel breathing beginning to become harder and felt Hades magic squeezing around her.

"Wait! Stop!" Emma shouted. "It wasn't Regina. She didn't gather those hearts. It was me."

Hades grip on Regina loosened a little but he kept her close. "Is this true?" He asked Regina.

Regina nodded her head. "I don't have the last three hearts for you."

"What? And you couldn't just rip three hearts out of people that live in this town? Where has the notorious Evil Queen gone to?" Hades asked.

"I…I'm not her anymore. I'm not the Evil Queen." Regina replied.

Hades pulled her closer to him and her breath hitched. "I can smell the darkness off you. You possess the dark one but you refuse to let it out. Refuse to let the darkness show through." Hades smirked. "But now you are mine and I think it is about time we let that darkness out, don't you?"

"No!" Regina said struggling against Hades magic.

"No? Well we can always do something to those people you seem to love so much over there…" Hades said using his magic to grab Robin, gripping him tightly and choking him.

Regina gasped and watching for a moment as Robin struggled for air. "No stop! You can do whatever you want with me but please just leave them alone. Don't hurt him." Regina said desperately.

Hades grip loosened on Robin and Robin fell to the ground. "See that wasn't so hard was it Regina?" He turned to the others, grin firmly on his face. "Don't worry you will see Regina again, although she may not be quite the same. Perhaps a little darker." He laughed and with a swirl of grey smoke Hades, Regina and his little demons were gone leaving Robin, Emma, Mary-Margaret and David alone on Main Street not knowing how they were going to save Regina now.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys I have a chapter for you. I hope you are enjoying where I am taking you with this story.**

* * *

Grey smoke swirled around her and slowly disappeared revealing blackness. Regina looked around her trying to figure out exactly where she was. It appeared she was in some kind of cave, that she could only presume was Hades underworld. She took a couple of steps forward and looked over the edge of the rock to see a glowing red fire like river flowing beneath her.

"I wouldn't get to close to that Regina…" Hades said behind her making her jump and spin round to look at him.

"I'm in the underworld…" Regina said in more of a statement than a question.

"You are indeed. Welcome to your new home." Hades smirked holding his hand out. "Now my dear I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Regina asked in confusion. She didn't step any closer to him. She didn't particularly want to be anywhere near him. "I highly doubt it will be a surprise I will like."

"Oh really?" Hades said waving his hand. "I guess you wouldn't want to see your mother again then?"

Regina gasped as the grey smoke disappeared revealing her mother. "Mother…" Regina breathed out. "Your here?" Regina stepped towards her mother, wanting to hug her but as she looked into her mother's eyes she didn't see the loving look she had received when her mother had died. No, the look she got from her mother was the same look she had grown up with. A mother that showed no love. A mother that would punish you for even thinking about hugging her. So she stepped back.

"You didn't expect to see me dear?" Cora asked with a raised eyebrow.

Regina shook her head. "I don't know where I expected you to be." Regina replied. "Your…Your heart?" Regina asked. She could tell the woman stood in front of her didn't have her heart. She could see it in her eyes.

"Well your mothers heart was a nice prize for me when she arrived." Hades said. "You on the other hand will be keeping your heart."

"And why is that?" Regina questioned.

"You will need it dear." Cora answered.

"You Regina are going to finally accept that darkness that is fighting through." Hades said. "And then you will become my wife."

"What?" Regina asked raising an eyebrow at Hades and looking every bit like her mother. "I am not going to do anything like that. I won't accept the darkness and I will definitely not be becoming your wife."

Hades laughed causing Regina to frown in confusion. "You are funny Regina. It's nice that you think you have a choice but okay we can play along with that, can't we Cora?" Hades said and Cora nodded her head. "If you will not do as I ask then you can go in here…" Hades said clicking his fingers moving Regina into a dungeon. Regina gasped and grabbed onto the bars pulling and pushing at them to see if they would move. "I wouldn't bother wasting your energy on trying to move those bars Regina. They won't budge. Let's see how long it will take for you to give in."

"I won't give in. You will be waiting a long time." Regina threw back.

"Well Regina I am immortal. I can wait." Hades replied before disappearing with Cora following.

* * *

Emma, Robin, Mary-Margaret and David were all still stood out on Main Street by the clock tower. "Where did he take her?" Robin asked looking around them. "What has he done with Regina?"

"I have no idea." Emma replied staring at the space that Regina had once been stood in. "I guess if he is Hades then maybe he has taken her to the underworld?" Emma said.

"But she's not dead…" David said.

"I don't think that matters if Hades takes you himself. He wanted her so he took her." Mary-Margaret answered.

"What do you think he wants with her? I don't think this is just part of that deal they made. I think there is more to this. I just have this feeling." Robin said, worry showing in his tone and his face. "I don't know what he is planning but I am going to do everything in my power to save her."

"We all are Robin." Emma said placing her hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Hades paced up and down the cave, with Cora watching him intently. "I'm not so sure you are going to break Regina. She can be very stubborn at times." Cora said.

"She will break. I have ways and means." Hades said firmly. "Let's just bring the temperature of the dungeon down." He said flicking his wrist using his magic.

"I don't think that will make her break." Cora sighed.

"And what do you suggest Cora?" Hades asked turning to the older woman.

"I suggest using the ones she loves. Regina feels not just with her heart but her whole soul. When she loves she loves deeply. You use the people close to her and I think that will be your key in breaking her." Cora said.

Hades nodded his head. "That makes sense but I think I will keep that for the last resort. We will try my way first."

* * *

Regina was sat in the corner of the dungeon, her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs while her chin rested on her knees. She had felt the temperature in the dungeon drop and she knew it would most likely be Hades trying to make her break down and accept what he wanted from her. She really didn't want to give into him. She couldn't give into him. She couldn't go dark again.

She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall. She tried to hold them in, tried not to let them out. She didn't want to show weakness. She took a deep breath before stretching her legs out and pushing herself up onto her feet. Brushing her hands over her clothes, smoothing out the creases and brushing off the dirt of the dungeon. She began to pace up and down trying to figure out a way out of this. There had to be a way out of this mess without giving into darkness and marrying the lord of the underworld.

She could use her magic, channel the darkness in her to break out but would she be able to break away from it afterwards or would the darkness take over her completely if she let it in…She screamed out in frustration, a fireball forming in her hand and she threw it towards the bars of the dungeon. It hit the bars, a blue shield shining around the bars effectively crushing her magic and showing her Hades really wasn't that stupid to forget to shield the dungeon with magic.

She could feel her anger rising and she hit out at the wall, kicking and punching it feeling the pain shooting through her hands, arms and legs, letting it consume her. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to fight against this anymore. She wanted to be…but she wasn't sure if she could be.

Hades watched Regina falling to pieces and knew it wouldn't take much more to force her over the edge and into his arms to what he wanted. He just needed a little something to push her. "You need to use her loved ones." Cora said in a sing song voice from behind him knowing what he was thinking. "It will be enough to really push her to where you want her. She will do anything to save the ones she loves."

"And who out of these loved ones do you think I should go for? The outlaw?" He asks turning round to face the evil witch in front of him. She really was a nice addition to his collection of evil.

Cora shook her head. "No. Regina may love him deeply but there is another that she loves in a deeper sense. I would go for the boy. For him Regina will give up the goodness in her and will give herself to you."

Hades smirked and he waved his hand over a bowl of water sitting on the table. A picture of Henry, with all the other heroes appeared. "Then after the boy it will be." Hades said and with a click of his fingers he disappeared to snatch the boy from the heroes and use him to push his mother over the edge into darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh look here another update so soon! haha! I have been spending quite a bit of time writing for this story and I have actually written it to the end and sadly that means this story will be coming to an end soon. After this chapter I am pretty sure there is another three chapters plus an epilogue to round things off. So just giving a fair warning. I am probably going to try and just post for this story more often. Maybe one chapter each day this week just to finish it off. I am quite sad to be ending this story as I have enjoyed writing it so much and making Regina the dark one and adding my own small twist with the underworld.**

 **Anyway I will stop rambling on and let you get to the chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

It didn't take long or much effort for Hades to snatch the boys from the heroes. They tried to fight him off but he was too strong for them and he knew it. So he grabbed the boy, threw some magic at them and got out of there and back down to the underworld. Henry struggled against the tight hold Hades had on him. As they appeared in what he presumed was the underworld he looked around him. It wasn't really what he had expected but then he wasn't quite sure what he had expected of the underworld. Hades pushed him away and Henry stumbled a little trying to find his feet.

Once he did he turned round to look at Hades. He held his head up high. His mom had always told him hold your head up high and look as confident as you can and you will fool anyone. So he tired but he knew Hades would know he was terrified. "Where's my mom?" Henry asked firmly. Trying so much to keep his voice from wavering. "You better not have hurt her or I'll…"

"Or you'll what child? Kill me? A little late for that I am afraid." Hades smirked as he walked closer to Henry. Henry took a step backwards. "Don't worry about your mother Henry. I think the person you should be worrying about…is yourself." Hades said and reached forward grabbing Henry and they disappeared once more in a cloud of grey.

They reappeared in a dark damp dungeon and Henry looked round to see his mother in a cell, sat on the floor her legs held close to her chest. "Mom!" He called out.

Regina raised her head quickly and looked up at that familiar voice. She gasped as she saw her little boy there, Hades holding onto his arm tightly. She pushed herself up and walked closer to the bars of her cell. "Henry!" She called back with tears in her eyes. She then looked up to Hades, a glare on her face. "Let him go!"

"Oh I will my dear. As soon as you agree to the conditions I set." Hades smirked. "You become dark and become my wife and the boy gets to go back to those heroes alive. You refuse and I am sorry but he joins us down here."

"Mom don't do it! Don't agree to that." Henry said.

"I can assure you Regina that it probably will not be a pleasant death. You know me, gotta have a little fun." Hades said with an evil laugh.

Regina didn't say a word for a minute. She couldn't let Hades hurt her little boy. She didn't need Hades to tell her it would be unpleasant for Henry whatever Hades would plan to do to him. She didn't want to accept the darkness and she didn't want to be tied to Hades forever but she knew there was no other option. She had to save her little boy. She had to accept Hades offer.

"Well I guess you'll be coming with me Henry. I hope you're ready for me to have some fun!" Hades smiled.

"No wait!" Regina shouted stopping Hades before he used his magic to make himself and Henry disappear. "I will do whatever you want me to just please don't hurt Henry." Regina said desperately.

"So you accept the conditions?" Hades asked.

Regina nodded her head. "Yes I accept just let Henry go."

Hades smirked and nodded his head. "Good choice Regina. I knew you'd see sense in the end." He waves his hand and Regina's cell door flew open. She jumped back a little but as soon as she could she darted out of the cell. She ran over to Henry and wrapped him up in her arms, closing her eyes and holding onto him tightly.

"Mom please don't do this." Henry said sadness being heard in his voice.

"I have to Henry. I can't let him hurt you." Regina said pulling away a little and gently holding Henry's chin in her fingers. "I just want you to know that I love you so very much my little prince. Always remember that, okay?" Regina said with tears in her eyes. She knew this was a goodbye and she hated it but she needed to make sure her boy was safe.

"I love you too mom." Henry replied back and wrapped his arms around her again, hugging her tightly. "I will save you." He whispered before pulling away again and looking into her eyes.

"Times up!" Hades hollered and pulled Henry away from a now crying Regina. He waved his hand over Henry sending him back to where he had been when he had taken him. He then turned to look at Regina who was trying to control the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. He stepped over to her and placed a finger under her chin raising her head to look at him. "It's time for you to get ready my dear and become queen of the underworld."

* * *

Henry reappeared in the diner and looked around him. The place was empty and he presumed that meant everyone was out looking for him or planning a way to find him. He quickly walked out of the diner and onto the street looking around him to see Emma, David, Mary-Margaret and Robin stood in deep discussion. He walked over to them and as he got closer he could hear them trying to make plans on how to get to him.

"How the hell are we going to get to the underworld? Unless you can tap into your magic to get there…" Robin said frantically.

"I don't know. Regina was teaching me how to tap into my magic better. I can't really control it still." Emma sighed.

"Well maybe you should try. We need to save Henry and if we get down there we can maybe get to Regina to." Mary-Margaret said.

"Mom you really need to try!" Henry said from behind them causing all four adults to jump and gasp as they turned round to see Henry stood in front of them.

"Henry!" Emma gasped and reached forward pulling Henry into her. "What the hell happened? How are you here?"

"My mom saved me. Hades kidnapped me to use me against my mom. To make her agree to some conditions." Henry said.

"What do you mean Henry? What conditions?" David asked.

"He wants' her to accept the darkness within her and to become his wife. He took me to use against her because he knew if he threatened to hurt me then she would accept his offer. He said if she accepted he would let me go." Henry explained. "We need to go back and help her. We can't let her accept the darkness and become Hades wife. He will snuff out all the lightness inside of her."

"We're not gonna let that happen kid." Emma said placing her hand on his shoulder. "We are going to save her okay."

"We need to Emma. I can't lose her to that darkness again. What if we can't get her away from it this time?" Henry said frantically.

"Henry no matter what we will save your mother okay?" Robin said crouching a little to look into Henry's eyes to show him just how serious he was. "There is no way we are going to let Regina fall into the darkness forever. We will not lose her. We are going to find a way to get down to the underworld and we are going to save her."

"You promise." Henry asked, his childish innocence showing through in his wide glassy brown eyes that were brimming with tears.

"I promise." Robin replied firmly.

* * *

Regina sat in front of an iron black vanity staring into the mirror as her mother stood behind her brushing her hair. She had been dressed in a black velvet dress that clung to her body accenting every curve in all the right places and flowed down to the floor leaving a train behind her. The sleeves were long and tight against her and the neckline was high reaching just below her neck, the back open and showing her olive skin. It was nice by all accounts she guessed and she would have loved the dress when she was the evil queen but in this circumstance she hated it. She didn't want to be wearing it. Her make up was much like it was when she was the Evil Queen. It was dark and heavy, not what she wore nowadays.

Her mother finished brushing her hair and leaned over her a little placing the brush on the vanity table. She then picked up a silver diamond necklace and placed it around her neck. "You look beautiful my darling." Cora said into her ear. "So powerful. I am so proud of you."

Hearing that made Regina's heart swell a little. She had always wanted to hear her mother say that to her. Had worked so hard when she was younger to have her mother say that to her but never heard it. She couldn't believe she was hearing it now, although it is the kind of circumstance her mother would love. She was about to marry the lord of the underworld after all. "Thank you mother." Regina replied. She then turned a little to look her mother in the eyes. "Mother I don't think I can do this…"

"Oh don't be silly dear. You are going to be so powerful. Think of the things you could do…You accept the power that is fighting inside you and no one will be able to stop you." Cora said.

"But I…" Regina started but Cora shushed her by placing a finger over her lips. "I don't want to accept the power mother."

"Regina once you accept this darkness you will feel a weight being lifted off of your shoulders. You will feel much better once you just accept who you are." Cora said as she turned Regina back round in the chair and pulled a few strands of her hair back and clipping it together with a silver diamond hair clip.

"I have accepted who I am mother. This darkness is not who I am." Regina replied as she gazed into the mirror. She stared into her own eyes as if her statement was more to convince herself that her mother. She wasn't dark. She didn't want to be dark. She couldn't be dark.

"Oh but it is Regina. This is who you were meant to be. You just have to realise that and you will soon enough." Cora said as she fluffed out Regina's hair a little more.

Regina just looked down at her lap. She wasn't meant to be this person. She wasn't meant to live her life in the darkness. Henry had helped her to see that, her family and her friends had helped her to see that and Robin's love had helped her to see it. She was much more than the darkness she had fallen into once and she really didn't want to fall back into it again as she was sure she would not be able to pull herself out of it for a second time.

"I'm never going to see my son again…" Regina said quietly tears in her eyes.

"Regina with the power you will have you can make sure you have your son. You can use your power to your advantage." Cora said with an evil smile on her face.

"He wouldn't want to be here with me. He wouldn't want to be with me if I was dark again." Regina replied.

"Then perhaps he is not worth it Regina." Cora shrugged off as if Henry was nothing. It hurt Regina to see her mother react like that when she spoke about Henry. Henry was everything to her. He was her little prince and she was never going to see him again. It broke her heart. She could feel the pain and it was almost crippling to feel that again.

"Now let's go. Hades is waiting for you." Cora replied reaching down and taking Regina's hand in hers and pulling her up to stand. "Beautiful." Cora repeated giving Regina a smile.

"Thank you mother." Regina said robotically. This was what her life was to be now. Agreeing with her mother and her soon to be husband just to have an easy time of it. Soon she would be the dark queen of the underworld. She had no idea what that life held for her but she had a feeling it was not going to be a good one.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey there! Here is a chapter for you. Only 2 more chapters and an epilogue after this one to go. I will try get the chapters up a bit quicker than normal but don't hold me to that one. December is one crazy month!**

* * *

Regina walked into a huge, black damp room. The room was only slightly lit by fire lamps on the walls. Her mother was in front of her and she guided her down the aisle towards where Hades was standing with a dark priest and his little demon pets beside him. As she walked down the aisle eerie music played, surrounding and echoing around the huge hall. Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment as she got closer and closer to meeting Hades.

She could feel everything closing in on her, a darkness slowly crushing her. She could feel it taking over already and there was no more fight in her to stop it. It would take over her and she knew that it would be the end. There was no way out of the darkness now. She was doomed to spend eternity with a husband she would never love and the darkness she had fought so hard to get away from.

Opening her eyes she found herself stood in front of Hades. He reached forward to take her hand in his and she flinched away. She didn't want him touching her. She didn't want him anywhere near her. But he insisted and grabbed her hand pulling her closer, making her stumble slightly. She found her footing and tried to stand up tall, holding her head as high as she could. She guessed if she had to go through with this she may as well try and hold her head up high.

The dark priest started to talk. "We are gathered here in the depths of the underworld to unite Hades with a woman to be his Queen. Regina Mills will commit herself and her darkness to Hades tonight and forever stand by his side." The dark priest stopped and looked towards Regina waiting for her answer.

"I…I will…" Regina answered not quite sure if that was how she was to answer.

The dark priest nodded and reached over to a golden plate that her mother was holding picking up a black silk scarf. He walked towards Regina and Hades and lifted their joined hands and then started to wrap the black silk scarf around them. "This symbolizes the binding of your marriage and the commitment you have to one another and your dark deeds." He said as he wrapped the last piece round and then placed his hand on top of theirs. "May it never be broken and forever stay."

"In the dark of the night together you will take over the underworld and be the most powerful of all." The priest called and raised his hands in the air.

Regina furrowed her brow at this and Cora stepped forward holding a golden goblet with black jewels around it. She held it up to Regina. "What is that?" Regina asked.

"It is the potion you will need to accept your darkness." The dark priest replied. "In the dark of the night evil will find you Regina."

"Come my minions, rise for your master and let your evil shine." Hades called making Regina jump a little. "Watch my queen take on her darkness."

Regina glanced from Hades and then out to the empty space behind them and then slowly rising from below demons of all shapes, sizes and colours began to rise. She gasped as she watched them. She then looked up to her mother who held the golden goblet closer to her. "Drink it Regina." She said firmly.

"What happens if I don't" Regina asked looking back towards Hades.

"You know exactly what will happen my Queen." He hissed and he squeezed on her hand hard making her yelp a little and flinch in pain.

Regina nodded quickly and with her free hand she reached for the golden goblet, taking it from her mother. She lifted it up to her lips, taking one more deep breath before she gulped the dark liquid. Her face screwed up as she tasted the dark liquid and it began to slip through her body. It tasted horrible and felt as if a thousand needles were pricking her as it slowly took over her body. She gasped and the goblet fell from her hands. She fell backwards, letting go of Hades hand and her hand flew to her stomach. She felt as if she were going to throw up. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the horrible feelings and the pain. She could feel the darkness slowly trying to stamp out the lightness in her. Anything good she had felt was slowly leaving her. Dark thoughts were taking over her, strong dark thoughts. She knew this was it.

Another minute and finally it was over. She opened her eyes, a darker tint shining in them as she pushed herself back up. Her skin seemed to sparkle in the little light in the hall. "Your majesty…" Pain, one of Hades little demons said cautiously as he stepped towards the woman.

Regina looked down at the little demon, a glare on her face and then with a flick of her hand she sent the little demon flying across the room towards one of the torches of fire, she had always hated those little things. Hades could see where his pet was heading and effectively stopped him making him fall to the ground with a thump, all the while smirking. It had worked. She had now accepted the darkness within her. He had his dark queen. He had what he needed. Now he could wreak havoc all around him.

"My dear. How do you feel?" He asked as he stepped towards her, taking one of her hands in his seeing her sparkling skin more clearly.

Regina looked towards him, darkness shining in her eyes. She gave him an evil smile. "I feel…powerful." She replied and Hades laughed with glee.

"That is because you are dear." He said. He then turned to Cora who also had a smirk on her face. She felt so proud of Regina. She had become the powerful queen she had always dreamed she would become. This is what she had pictured. This is what she had wanted for her daughter. Ultimate power. She was the Dark One. She could do anything. "Now shall we have some fun my queen?"

"Fun?" Regina drawled out. "What kind of fun?" She asked with a raise of her perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"I have a little idea…" Hades said holding onto one of Regina's hands and with a wave of his a cloud of grey smoke surrounded them, transporting them through the underworld and up. They reappeared on the main street of Storybrooke. "Why don't we let everyone know just who you are now my queen."

Regina smirked and she nodded her head. She supposed she could have a little fun here. What was there to lose? She had already lost everything she loved to the darkness now. Why try to stop something that you can't stop?

* * *

Henry, Emma, Mary-Margaret, David and Robin were all sat in the loft going over plans. They had decided to try Emma's magic. Let her try to tap into her magic and see if she could get them down to the underworld to save Regina. They weren't sure if it was going to work, if Emma could tap into her magic but it was worth a shot at any rate and was the only plan they had come up with for now. When they got down to the underworld, well they would probably just be improvising like normal. They would figure it out while down there.

"Okay so do we think this spell will work?" Emma asked for what was probably the tenth time in twenty minutes. She was nervous about this. She really wanted her magic to work. They needed to get to Regina and fast before Hades put his plans into action.

"I have no idea but we have to try." Robin said firmly. He was worried about Regina. He didn't want to lose her. He couldn't lose her. Not again. He would do everything in his power to get her back to him. He needed to. "There is no harm in trying it. This could be the answer to getting to Regina."

"Robin is right Emma. We just need to try it." Mary-Margaret said trying to keep as hopeful as she could.

Emma nodded. "Okay. We should probably go elsewhere to do it. Maybe Regina's vault or the well…somewhere where the magic is central you know…Am I making sense?"

David shrugged his shoulders. "We have no idea. You're the one with the magic."

"Yea but you guys are the ones from like a magical land." Emma argued back. She was irritated but she knew it wasn't her father's fault.

"Erm…guys…" Henry said as he stared out the window. Something was happening out there. A storm had brewed and was now in Storybrooke and he had a feeling he knew exactly what and who the storm was. He knew this probably was not good and that they probably had no need for the spell now.

"We may be from a magical land but we don't possess magic ourselves Emma. We can't sense it like you can." Mary-Margaret replied moving a little to stand beside David.

"Guys…" Henry called again but once again was ignored.

"God I have no idea if this is going to work. I can't sense magic like you think I can! Regina was always there to help me with my magic before. To put me on edge and make me use it. She was always there to push me. I don't know how to do it on my own!" Emma sighed in frustration and ran her hand through her messy blonde curls.

"Guys…"

"Just keep calm Emma. I am more than sure you can do this. Regina had helped you connect with your magic somehow. You just have to think back to what she taught you and believe in yourself." Robin said taking on the hopeful role for the moment.

"Guys…"

"Yea I know. I will try but it really isn't as easy as you think it is." Emma replied.

"Guys!" Henry called a little louder. The storm was getting worse and worse out there and he was sure he saw a ball of fire fly past the window. He could hear screaming and shouting and as he looked down he saw some of the towns folk running as fast as they could to get away from whatever or whoever was out there. He had a feeling he knew exactly who they were all running in fear from. He had a feeling Hades plan had already been played out and now he had brought his mother back up to town to wreak some havoc.

"We know Emma but you can do this…" David started his hope speech but was interrupted by an annoyed and frustrated Henry.

"GUYS! You need to stop and listen to me." He shouted making all of them stop talking and turn to look at him. They need to stop their arguing and listen to him. They didn't have time to stand about arguing. They needed to save his mother who he knew had fallen back into darkness. They had been too late to save her down in the underworld but maybe they could find a way to save her up here. To pull her out of the darkness that had consumed her again.

"What is it kid?" Emma asked.

"Something is happening out there." Henry said motioning to the window. "It's like the first time Hades appeared. Like a storm is brewing but this time it seems worse. I have a feeling we won't need to go down to the underworld to find mom."

"What do you mean Henry?" Mary-Margaret asked as the adults all walked over to the windows to look out at what Henry was talking about.

"I mean that I think she is out there with Hades causing all this." Henry revealed. They all looked out of the window to see what was happening and gasped. Henry was right. To save Regina all they needed to do was step outside their front door. But none of them moved for a moment as they tried to figure out how to stand up to Regina as the dark one and also as queen of the underworld.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's a little update for you. I hope you enjoy it. After this one there is one more chapter and then an epilogue.**

* * *

They all walked out of the apartment building and looked around them. Buildings were collapsing, some were on fire and some had already collapsed onto the streets. People were running and screaming in fear. It was like a war zone. They all looked to their left and it was then that they saw Hades and Regina. They started to walk towards them. Neither of them had any plan on how to defeat Hades or Regina. They had not had time to plan it out.

Henry gasped as soon as they got closer to his mother. Her appearance had changed, she looked more like the Evil Queen she once had been yet this time her skin sparkled in the light of the buildings that were on fire. Her eyes were darker and he knew by looking into them that right there and then she was not his mother anymore. She was the dark one. She was completely different.

"Regina you need to stop this!" Emma shouted as she stepped in front of them all. She was improvising. Working a plan out in her head. She knew she would be the best one to try and protect them. She only hoped she would be able to access her magic. She hoped being in Regina's presence would somehow help her, even if Regina was the dark one at that moment in time. "You need to remember who you really are Regina! This isn't you!"

"And who are you to tell me who I really am?" Regina snarled as she stepped forward making everyone else step backwards. She smirked at their fear. "You have no right to tell me who I am."

"Regina please. Don't listen to Hades. Don't listen to the darkness in you. It is provoking you. The darkness is the one telling you what to do. It is ordering you to do things. I am not." Emma said. She was hoping to try and stall Regina a little. Stall her enough to work up her magic. She needed to work up her energy to access her magic. She planned to run off adrenaline as most other times that seemed to work.

"Don't listen to her Regina. She is trying to ruin you. She has always tried to ruin you. She is the reason Henry is not by your side right now and you know she is." Hades said into Regina's ear. He knew Regina would be easy enough to convince. She had pure darkness inside of her. She had hatred building up. Her lightness was being beaten down.

"Regina please…don't listen to him…" Emma said.

"No! I have heard enough!" Regina shouted and she flicked her wrist sending Emma flying across the road, falling on top of a car, smashing the windscreen and feeling pain surrounding her whole body.

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret cried out and she and David both hurried over to check on Emma.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore." Emma groaned as she pushed herself up a little and let David help her down from the car.

Robin then stepped forward. He wanted to get through to her. To make her see what was happening to her right at this moment. He wanted his Regina. He needed her. "Regina…This isn't you…Please come back to me…"

"She won't be coming back to you thief." Hades smirked as he stepped closer to Regina. He took her left hand in his and lifted it to show Robin. Robin looked down and on Regina's ring finger was a black iron ring with a grey stone on it. It had be forged out of the silk scarf that had been wrapped around their hands effectively binding Regina to him. "She is mine now."

Robin gritted his teeth in anger. He knew Regina wouldn't have given herself to Hades unless she felt she had no other choice but it didn't stop his heart from breaking. He had told himself that he would not lose her again. He needed to believe that there was still a way to get her back to him. "He doesn't love you Regina. He never will love you. He won't give you the love you crave."

"Love does not matter." Regina replied with an emptiness and Robin knew that it wasn't his Regina talking. It was the Dark One. "Love is weakness and I do not need that in my life."

"I know that you don't really believe that Regina. I know that is not really you talking." Robin said desperately.

Emma quickly walked over to Robin and placed her hand on his arm. "Robin there is no point fighting with her. She is too far gone."

"Get your hands off him!" Regina demanded and with her magic pushed Emma back making her fall to the ground.

Robin looked to Regina and he could tell he had hit her nerve with her. He had gotten through to his Regina. She was trying to fight through this darkness and get to him. Was that a sign? Was it her way of telling him she was still there?

"God she really has it in for me when she is dark." Emma muttered as she pushed herself up again.

"Maybe you should stay back for now? Let us deal with her." David said, his worry for his daughter showing through.

"You and I both know that that is not a good idea. I have magic and have the best bet to fight her off. Pushing her might be just what we need to do. I will be fine." Emma said. She then turned and walked back towards Regina. She could do this. She could access her magic and fight against this dark one. She just needed to think of Regina as the dark one. She couldn't think of her as Regina.

"Have I not killed you yet?" Regina drawled out.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm not quite sure you are strong enough for that Regina. You and I both know you have never been able to defeat me and you probably never will be able to." Emma threw back. She was provoking her. A dangerous thing to do considering.

"Oh you really are quite cocky sometimes _Miss Swan_. You also underestimate me entirely." Regina replied "I am quite powerful."

"You are yes but then so am I. You're looking at the saviour here, remember Regina? Product of true love and very powerful. Give me all you got." Emma stabbed an held her arms open. "Or are you to weak? Or to scared perhaps? You know you can't do it. You're not as powerful as you think you are and you never will be." Emma said. She tried to think back to something Regina had told her about her mother. She didn't want to use it against her but she knew it would rile Regina up enough to really anger her and make her use her magic. "Your mother was right Regina. You will never accomplish anything. You will always disappoint her."

"Don't listen to her Regina." Hades said into her ear.

"And you will always just be the little puppet. Someone that people will pull the strings of, use you for what they want and then just dump you. Do you really think Hades will treat you like a queen? You will be locked away again as soon as your done doing what he wants. You will be back in a prison. Living your life out as someone's possession. You are weak Regina and you cannot fight back. You are a disappointment to your mother and you know it. You are nothing like she wanted!" Emma shouted.

David, Mary-Margaret and Robin stood back watching Emma and Regina. They could see that Emma was finding it hard to say all those things. She didn't want to say them but it was pushing Regina to where she wanted her.

"How dare you!" Regina shouted and she lifted her hands up shooting her magic out towards Emma. This time Emma was quick enough for her. She could feel her magic building up as she had said all of those things to Regina. Her adrenaline was pumping and she was ready. So her hands flew up and magic shot out of them and collided with Regina's in the middle. White and red powerful magic colliding with a boom that echoed around Storybrooke.

Both women held their strengths and tried to push the other hard to fight through the others magic but both were equally powerful. Henry watched his mother's fighting against one another with their magic. He wanted to help. He wanted to bring his mom back. He pulled out the sword David had given him when he insisted on coming with them and he walked up to Hades, holding the sword up high. He was scared but he was trying not to show it.

"I want you to let my mother go and take the darkness out of her!" Henry shouted holding the sword up high.

"Oh do you now?" Hades asked with a raised eyebrow. "And what makes you think I will do what you want boy?"

"Because if you don't then I will kill you." Henry said firmly.

Hades laughed, or more cackled once Henry had said that. "You're brave boy I will give you that but you are also foolish and stupid. You really think you can kill me with that sword? Do you not know who I am boy? That sword will do nothing to me." Hades said and then with a wave of his hand the blade of the sword melted and dripped to the ground.

Henry gasped and let go of the handle of the sword letting it fall to the ground into the puddle of the melted blade with a clatter. He then looked back up at Hades, his head held as high as he could. "I am not scared of you." Henry said keeping his voice strong. "I will never be scared of you and I will save my mom from you!"

"It is nice you are hopeful I guess but you are most definitely wrong. Your mother is mine. She is not coming back to you. The only way to be with your mother is to come with us. Turn yourself into the darkness and you will be by your mother's side. It is the only way to see her." Hades said. "You will not save her from the darkness this time. She is gone to you."

"No! I don't believe you. She can be saved. She can fight the darkness. I know she can. She just has to realise it!" Henry replied.

"You are a foolish boy." Hades smirked. "Turn to the darkness Henry. Forget the others."

"No!" Henry shouted.

"Well then you will die like the rest of them." Hades said with a shrug an started to summon his magic.

Regina tore her gaze away from Emma for a second and looked t the side to see Henry with Hades. She could see Hades summoning his magic. She knew what he was going to do. She felt a lightness rise in her. She couldn't let him hurt her son. She wouldn't let him hurt her son. She pushed with all her might against Emma's magic, managing to overpower her and push her backwards. Emma stumbled back and Regina darted towards Henry just as Hades released his magic. "Henry!" Regina shouted, reaching Henry just in time to push him out of the way, Hades magic hitting her instead of Henry.

She gasped as she felt something rising within her and then all of a sudden the darkness flew out of her and took her breath away. The darkness hung in the air for a moment before swirling back down to Regina, surrounding her and trying to fight its way back into her.

"The box. Pandora's box! Open it!" Emma shouted as she pushed herself up and ran over to them. Robin pulled the box out of the bag he had been carrying and he opened the box. A bright white light shone out of the box hitting against the darkness that was swirling around Regina. The box started shaking in Robin's hands as it took over the dark magic and started to drag it in. Wind flew around them and they shielded their eyes as the bright light got lighter, overpowering the darkness and dragged the last of it into the box. The box slammed shut and everyone heard the click of the lock and unshielded their eyes to see the darkness gone.

"Mom!" Henry called as he ran over to Regina who was lying on the ground, the sparkle tint that had taken over her skin gone. She gasped and opened her eyes, her eyes having lost the dark tint and looking normal once more landed on Henry. "Mom…"

"Henry…Are you okay?" Regina asked as she lifted her hand to place on Henry's cheek.

"I'm fine mom." Henry replied with a smile. So happy to see her again. To see the real her. He helped Regina up and she brushed herself off.

"What happened?" Emma asked looking around them.

Regina was about to answer but Hades interrupted hr reminding them that he was still there. "What happened is not important. You are still mine Regina whether you have that darkness in you or not." Hades hollered.

"I am not and will never be yours!" Regina shouted and she pulled the black iron ring from her finger and threw it to the ground.

"You cannot break our deal Regina." Hades replied. "You cannot destroy me. Nobody can destroy me!"

"Watch me!" Regina said and she held up her hands and white magic shot out hitting the black iron ring that was on the ground breaking it to pieces. She then moved her hands and shot her magic towards Hades. The light magic engulfed him and pain enveloped him. The magic got brighter and brighter and Regina used the last of the energy she had and one last push was enough to break Hade's, breaking him like she had the ring into pieces. He let out a blood curdling scream as he was blown into hundreds of pieces. Destroying him like many had tried but failed to over the years.

Everyone watched in shock at what Regina had just done. Regina's energy was wiped and she felt her legs buckling beneath her. She felt herself falling but Robin was quick to catch her and fall to the ground with her, holding her in his arms. He kissed into her hair, so happy to have her in his arms again.

"I ask again…what the hell happened?" Emma said still a little shocked at everything that had gone on.

"True love…" Regina breathed out, her voice was hoarse.

"Mom committed an act of true love. When she pushed me out of the way of Hades magic it was an act of true love. She sacrificed herself for me." Henry explained, already having figured out what had happened.

"So that act of true love was enough to push the darkness out of you?" Emma asked and Regina nodded her head into Robin's chest.

"The act of true love pushed the darkness out of me and gave me the light magic I needed to defeat Hades." Regina replied.

"How did you know you could defeat Hades? How did you know you had that power?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"I didn't…" Regina replied.

"She sacrificed herself again…for us…" Emma replied and looked to Regina who nodded her head into Robin's chest again. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. Henry then knelt down beside them and he too wrapped his arms around Regina. Regina moved a little and hugged Henry tightly. She was so happy to be back with them and she felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her. Finally she was free from the darkness that had been hiding within her.


	16. Chapter 16

**I apologise for the delay in updating but with Christmas and all things have been pretty busy. Anyway I hope you enjoy this. After this is the epilogue and then we are done.**

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They were now all sat in Regina's house. Regina had washed up and changed being ever so happy to get out of the dress she had been put in when down in the underworld. With the darkness being trapped that seemed to be enough for Rumple to wake up and he was now at Regina's catching up on what had been happening. He was back to being the cowardly human he once had been but Regina suspected if he really wanted to he could be the brave man he was deep down.

Pandora's box was sat on the coffee table in the middle of them all. Regina could hear the darkness calling out to her and she suspected Rumple could hear it too. She closed her eyes and tried to count to ten to calm her nerves and drown out the whispering haunting voices that were travelling to her.

Rumple looked over and then placed his hand on Regina's that was resting on her knee. She opened her eyes and looked at them. "I can hear it to. If you have contained the darkness whenever it is near you will hear that voice. It will never leave you." Rumple said.

"I can't stand it…" Regina said in a whisper her vulnerability showing through. She had had enough of being strong, of holding in all her emotions. She was done. For once she wasn't going to be the strong one. Not after everything that had just happened.

"We are going to help you Regina." Robin said sitting on the arm of the chair and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head and breathed her in. He was so happy to have her back in his arms. He had been so scared he was going to lose her for good. He wasn't sure what he would do if he lost her again. He wasn't sure if he could have coped with it again.

"How? You heard what Rumple said. If the darkness is near I will always hear it and so will he." Regina said.

"We will hide it somewhere." Emma added in. "What about in your vault?" Emma asked.

"The darkness will still be in Storybrooke Miss Swan. As long as it is in Storybrooke we will forever hear it's voice. It will call out to us, longing for one of us to finally give in and open that box to release it once more. It knows eventually one of us will give in. One person always does." Rumple explained.

"We are not going to let that happen." Belle said as she took Rumple's hand in hers. "None of you are going to give into the darkness again. There must be somewhere else we can take it."

"What if we took it out of Storybrooke?" David suggested.

"And how do you plan on getting back? The town line is still not safe to cross. We don't have any more of the potion to help us get back. It is too risky." Regina shot down the idea. She didn't want anyone getting stuck over the town line for the sake of helping her drown out the voice of the dark one.

Henry walked into the room, book in hand. He had been thinking as the adults were talking. He had been sure he knew a way to help his mother and Rumple. He wasn't sure if it was the best plan but as long as there was a way to get there and back he was sure it would be fine. "I have an idea…" Henry said causing all the adults to look round at him.

"Is it me or has he turned into a right bookworm?" Emma said with a slight smirk. "No offence Belle."

"None taken." Belle smiled back.

"Yea well books hold good information. You should try it sometime ma." Henry shot back making Regina smirk. He really had learned from her when it came to sass. She was proud.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Alright bookworm what you got?" Emma asked as she walked over to him.

"Well I was thinking what if we take Pandora's box down to the underworld and destroy it down there. That way no one hears the dark one calling to them and it effectively destroys the dark one so it will never haunt anyone ever again." Henry suggested.

"Good idea in theory Henry but how do you suggest we get there and back?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"With this." Henry said walking over to the coffee table and placing the book down. "When we were looking for a way to get to mom I found this book in her library." Henry said. "Was quite an interesting read." Henry said then looking towards Regina.

"All the books in there are." Regina replied with a smile.

"I found these…spells I guess they are to get to the underworld and also to get out of the underworld. If we use these we can take the box down there find a place to destroy it and then get out of there." Henry said. "So what do you think?" he asked and looked around the adults.

Everyone looked down at the book not really sure what to say. Emma was the first to speak up. "Regina… Rumple would this work?" She asked them. They were the best people to ask, the most experienced in magic. Even if Rumple didn't have his magic anymore.

"It would work yes…" Rumple started.

"The spell to get there is…well it's not exactly pleasant." Regina finished for him as she stared down at the book. She sighed and ran her fingers through her brunette locks. She was glad Robin kept his arm around her. She felt so safe in his arms. "The spell requires two people that have caused a considerable amount of pain and sorrow. Those two people will then feel every bit of pain and sorrow they have caused, every victims screams will be heard and all their pain felt."

"That doesn't sound good." Emma said stating the most obvious.

"No it doesn't." Regina said. "But I think it might be the only way we can truly get rid of the darkness once and for all."

"So who…"Mary-Margaret started to ask.

"Well I would presume I would be one of the two who caused the most pain and sorrow." Regina interrupted quickly already knowing what Mary-Margaret was going to ask.

"And I would be the other." Rumple added shifting forward in his seat.

"But your heart in pure now Rumple. You have a clean slate." Belle said.

"I may now have a pure heart but it does not erase the centuries of pain and sorrow I caused. It does not erase my past. It is up to Regina and I to open the portal to lead us to the underworld." Rumple replied.

"To get back it's not so bad. It's quite simple actually. No one has to feel any pain or sorrow. The two who open the portal to enter must be the ones to open the portal to leave." Henry said reading the last part from the book.

Regina nodded, biting her lip for a moment as she stared at Pandora's box, the haunting whispers of the dark one fighting their way into her head. They were pushing her, trying to get her to give in and let the darkness out. To release it and take it in again. She wasn't so sure if they kept it hear if she would be able to resist it forever. So she pushed herself up from the sofa, letting Robins arm drop from her shoulder. She grabbed his hand squeezing tight. "Let's get this over with. We need to get this darkness out of here."

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They were now all stood by the well. Regina and Rumple decided it might be the best place to do it since Rumple didn't have his magic anymore. So they thought they should go where the magic was held and strong.

"Are you sure you want to do this Regina?" Robin asked worriedly. He took her hands in his and pulled her close to him. Moving one of his hands up her arm and up to her cheek tangling his fingers in her soft brown hair.

"I have to. It is the only way to finally get my happy ending. Our happy ending. We need to destroy the darkness once and for all." Regina replied leaning into his touch.

"But it is going to hurt you…" Robin said.

Regina nodded her head slightly. "I'm not going to enjoy it but I have to do this."

"I'll be right here with you." Robin said and he leaned forward and placed his lips down onto hers in a soft kiss.

"I love you Robin." Regina whispered to his lips.

"I love you too Regina." He whispered back and she smiled as she rested her head against his.

"Alright love birds let's get this over with." Rumple said interrupting their moment. Regina rolled her eyes and pulled away from Robin, giving his hand one last squeeze before walking over to stand beside Rumple. "You ready for this dearie?" He asked her as he looked to the side.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said and leaned over taking his hand in hers to share her magic with them. They both took a deep breath and together started to recite the enchantment that was in some ancient language. The other's watched as the wind picked up slight and a swirl of blackness moved around them. Once Regina and Rumple had finished the enchantment it took seconds for the pain and sorrow of all their victims to hit them. Regina gasped and let go of Rumples hand her hand flying to her heart. Her eyes screwed up in pain and her breath seemed to be knocked out of her.

"Regina…" Robin called about to walk towards her but Emma stopped him.

"You need to let her do this. I know it's horrible to watch but you need to let her do it." Emma said firmly. Robin nodded his head and he stood back but looked away from Regina. He couldn't watch her like this, in so much pain.

Rumple just stood there, his eyes closed trying hard not to succumb to the pain and sorrow he was feeling. He knew what he would be feeling would be slightly worse than Regina. After all he had been darker for longer than she had but then he also knew with Regina's heart this must be an imaginable amount of pain and sorrow for her. For someone who loved so deeply to feel all the sorrow and pain multiplied by one hundred it must be crippling.

Regina's hands flew up to her ears and she pressed down on them wanting to drown out all the screams of her victims. She couldn't stand it anymore. It was too much, it hurt too much. She could feel tears running down her cheeks as she cried for all of those she had caused this pain and sorrow to. She felt horrible, she felt evil. She gasped out trying to catch her breath.

Rumple looked down at her. He had no idea how he was controlling this but he knew he needed to try and help her through this. So he knelt down placing on hand on her back and then taking one of her hands in his. "I know this is horrible Regina but you can fight through it. You can come out the other side after feeling all this pain. Hold on to me. We can do this together." He said. Regina glanced up at him, tears running down her cheeks and more brimming in her eyes. She held onto his hand tightly and tried to breathe through the new waves of pain that were hitting her. "Nearly there Regina. " he said and he moved his thumb over the back of her hand trying to comfort her in some way. He knew it was in no way enough to make it up to her for what he had put her through and made her do but he hoped to try and make it up to her in some way and he hoped this would go towards that.

Another few minutes passed and then a black swirling portal opened to the side of them. Everyone looked towards it and suddenly the pain and sorrow Regina and Rumple had felt slowly began to ease off. Rumple stood up and gently helped Regina up from the ground.

"You done it." Henry said as he ran over to Regina and hugged her. "I'm sorry mom."

"You don't need to apologise Henry." Regina replied softly. She wiped her cheeks a little. "I knew it would be a horrible experience. Now come on. Let's go." Regina said she took Henry's hand and then reached for Robin's holding onto them tightly. Belle took Robin's and Rumple took Belles. Emma took Henry's other hand and then Mary-Margaret clung onto Emma with David holding onto Mary-Margaret. They all took a deep breath and jumped into the portal sending them all to the underworld.

They all landed with a thump to the ground an groaned as they pushed themselves up. David looked around him as he brushed the dirt from his clothes. "So this is the underworld. Not quite how I imagined it." He said.

"How did you imagine it dear? Red and fiery?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's as dark and dismal as it should be. Come on I think I know where we can destroy that thing." Regina said and she motioned for them all to follow her. They walked through the hallways all looking around them. There was a chill in the air, screams and crying could be heard echoing around them.

"How did you manage down here?" Emma asked Regina as they continued to walk.

"I just put myself back in a place I was years ago. Put myself back to the Evil Queen. She wouldn't have cared where she was. The only thing was it didn't quite work as well as I had hoped it would. Maybe I am not as connected with her as I once thought." Regina said. "So I then thought about what makes me happy and who makes me happy. It got me through as much as it could."

Emma nodded her head. They walked out into an open cave looking place and Regina walked right up to the edge of the cliff they were on. Everyone joined her and looked down beneath them was like a river but when you really looked at it you could see ghost like figures swimming around. "What the hell is down there?" David asked speaking for the group.

"Souls. Hades takes your soul when you arrive down here and this is where you are put. It's a horrible afterlife. You are forever stuck in the evil things you have done. I guess it would be like a constant feeling of what Regina and I just experienced. You would forever feel the pain and sorrow of what you have caused." Rumple explained.

Henry gulped a little and squeezed his mother's hand. "You won't end up like that will you?" He asked.

"I do hope not Henry." Regina replied.

"I think your mother will be just fine Henry." Rumple added in. "Is this where you were thinking of putting the box Regina?" Rumple asked and Regina nodded her head. "Good plan."

"Thank you." Regina said with a slight smile. "Can I have the box?" Regina asked holding her hand out to Robin who had been carrying Pandora's box for them. Robin pulled it out and handed it to her. She held it over the edge and was just about to do it when they heard a voice behind them.

"I can't let you do that!"

Everyone turned round and gasped as they saw Cora stood there. Regina stepped forward. "I have to mother. I need to destroy this darkness before it destroys any more lives."

"I knew I couldn't stay proud of you Regina. You are weak and you always were. Running to love as soon as someone showed you a little. Don't you remember what I always told you. Love is weakness Regina. You could have been strong and you could have been powerful but you throw it all away to be the hero!" Cora snapped.

"Love is not weakness mother. It is strength and you would know that if you ever had your heart. I don't need darkness to be strong and powerful. Love is just as strong and powerful, lightness is just as strong and powerful." Regina threw back. She then turned around and threw the box down into the swirling evil river.

"No!" Cora shouted but as soon as the box hit the water she gasped. She felt herself begin pulled towards the river, her soul being pulled to where it belonged. Everyone stepped aside as she breezed past them but Cora clung to the edge of the cliff not going without a fight. "Regina please help me. I'm your mother." She pleaded hoping to get to Regina one last time.

"No you're not. My mother died." Regina said before turning on her heel and walking away. Cora slipped from the cliff and fell into the water, her soul being pulled from her.

Robin ran over to Regina and pulled her into his arms as she sobbed into his chest. "It's okay Regina it's over." He said softly as his hands moved over hr back soothingly.

"You done the right thing Regina. She wasn't your mother." Rumple said as he walked over to them.

"I know. I always knew when I was down here that she wasn't really her…but I clung to her at first…" Regina replied back cuddling into Robin still but looking at Rumple. "I wanted her to be there…to help me…"

Rumple gave Regina a sad smile and placed his hand on her upper arm. "Let's go home."


	17. Epilogue

**Okay everyone here is the last part of this story. I thought since I had it written up I would just post it and finish another story before 2015 ends. I would like thank everyone who has read this, followed this, Favorited this and reviewed this story. i have loved writing this and there are plenty more ideas stored so I am sure a new story will be up soon enough. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the epilogue of this story.**

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Regina groaned a little as she began to stir from her slumber. She stretched feeling the comfortable bed beneath her and smiled a little. Slowly opening her eyes and letting them adjust to the morning light streaming into the bedroom and looked around her reminding herself that her nightmare was over. She was in her bedroom, in her house, in Storybrooke. She wasn't in a damp dark dungeon. She wasn't down in the underworld. She was home. She wasn't dark, she couldn't hear the whispering voices in her head any more. She couldn't feel the heavy weight upon her shoulders anymore.

She then held her hands up in front of her and stared at them. Her skin was normal, it's normal olive colour. There was no shine, no sparkle, no dark one look. She was free. It was over. It was done. She then looked to her side as she felt someone move beside her, an arm around her waist and pulling her close to them. She let a smile fall back onto her face as she looked at Robin sleeping peacefully beside her. She felt safe again. She felt happy. This is what she had been dreaming about for so long. The darkness had made her think she would never feel like this again. She was so happy to prove it wrong.

She turned onto her side and shuffled just that little bit closer to Robin. She moved her hand up his arm slowly and up to his cheek. She softly rubbed her thumb over his cheek, over his chin and moving around his lips before moving it along his nose.

"What are you doing?" Robin mumbled sleepily and Regina breathed out a laugh at the sound of his voice. She watched as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her and she bit her lip shyly.

"Taking you in." Regina replied quietly as she stared into those blue eyes. "Taking every bit of you in."

"Why?" Robin asked moving his hand up and down her back, tickling her spine a little.

"Because I never want to forget you. I never want to lose you." Regina whispered as she continued to move her thumb over his face now on his forehead.

"I'm not going anywhere Regina. You will have a hard time ever getting rid of me. I'm with you until the end." He said and moved his hand to her cheek, brushing some of her stray hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "It's over now. Your safe. You have no need to worry. You can relax."

"I'm not sure I know how to relax anymore." Regina replied and Robin let out a quiet laugh.

"I'm not sure any of us do." He said resting his forehead against hers. He then pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. "Regina I…" Robin started but was interrupted by the bedroom door flying open and little feet stomping on the carpet as they ran across the room and over to the bed. A little figure with messy, wild curly brown hair jumped onto the bed and bounced in between them making Regina and Robin pull apart.

Roland bounced down in between Robin and Regina and he wrapped his arms around Regina's waist cuddling into her tightly. "Your still here." Roland said happily as he squeezed her tightly.

"Of course I'm still here. Did you expect me to be gone?" Regina asked as she looked down at the little boy she had grown so fond of.

"I wasn't sure. Henry promised me you would still be here in the morning. That you were feeling much better and he was right. Wasn't he? You feel much better?" Roland said looking up at Regina.

"Yes sweetheart I am feeling much better." Regina replied and kissed the top of his messy brown curls.

"Good. I am glad." He said and cuddled into her again. "I missed you mama." Roland mumbled into her chest.

Regina gasped a little and looked up at Robin with surprised eyes. She would be more than happy for Roland to call her mama but she had no idea if Robin would be okay with it. It was a big step for them to take and she wasn't sure if he was ready for that. "That is something I wanted to talk to you about, and I was going to before this little monster burst in." Robin said, tickling Roland a little at the end making him giggle and squirm a little but he never let go of Regina. "Roland don't you have something you wanted to ask Regina? Before you called her mama…" Robin said whispering the last part.

Roland gasped and placed his hand over his mouth and then used the other hand to smack his forehead. "Oops! I forgot." Roland said.

"It's okay. I'm sure you can ask Regina now." Robin said.

Roland nodded his head and he stood up on the bed puffing out his chest and holding his head up high. He then bent down on one knee and took Regina's hand in his. Regina had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing, as did Robin. He cleared his throat a little and Robin hid his face in his pillow. Regina could see his shoulders shaking and she gently shoved him a little. "Regina you do me honour…" Roland then looked at Robin. "That right word?" Robin nodded his head. Roland then turned to look back at Regina. "Regina, you do me honour of becoming my mama?" Roland asked sweetly. "I be best boy ever and make sure I do everything you tell me to."

Regina smiled a little. She really did love Robin and his son more than anything. "Of course I will Roland." Regina replied softly.

"Yey! So I call you mama?" Roland asked excitedly. Regina nodded her head. "It work papa." Roland said looking over to Robin.

"I never doubted you my boy. Now remember the last part…Kiss her hand." Robin said.

"Oh yes!" Roland said and looked back to Regina. He then lifted her hand up to his small lips and kissed her hand. He then dropped her hand and jumped into her arms making her fall back on the bed laughing. "I love you mama." Roland said happily.

"I love you to Roland." Regina said softly.

Roland then pulled away and jumped up and down on the bed. "I'm gonna go tell Henry!" Roland said excitedly and jumped down off the bed and ran out of the room.

Regina and Robin laughed a little and watched as Roland ran out of the room. Regina then turned to look at Robin. "Why did he ask me to be his mama like he was proposing to me?" Regina asked.

"Ah well we were watching a film with Henry and a man proposed to a woman and Roland then got it into his head that that is how he had to ask you to be his mama." Robin explained. "I tried to explain to him that it wasn't how he had to ask you but he insisted and I thought it would be cute."

"Yes…well it was…very cute." Regina said with a smile on her face.

"I'm glad you thought it was cute." Robin said as he pushed himself up and out of the bed. He opened up his bedside table drawer and pulled out a small red velvet box and walked around the bed to Regina's side.

Regina frowned in confusion as she watched Robin move. "What are you doing?" Regina asked.

Robin didn't answer but took Regina's left hand in his and knelt down on one knee making Regina gasp. When Roland done knelt down on one knee it was cute, now Robin was doing it she was nervous but excited all at the same time. "Regina…I know you have just gotten out of a…well a semi awkward and very much unwanted marriage with the lord of the underworld…" Robin started and Regina giggled a little and shook her head. "And I'm not sure whether you will ever want to get married ever again but I would like to ask you if you would do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Robin finished.

"Oh Robin…I would love to." Regina gushed. Robin grinned and stood up wrapping his arms around Regina and pulling her close to him, kissing her hard on the lips. He pulled away and took her left hand back in his slipping the engagement ring onto her finger. It was a simple white gold ring with a sparkling diamond on top. "Oh Robin it's beautiful." Regina said softly.

"I thought you might like it." Robin said with a smile.

"Although I'm not quite sure if I will want to be getting married for quite a while." Regina said and Robin breathed out a laugh.

"I am more than happy to just be engaged to you." Robin replied and then kissed her again.

"She said yes then." Came Henry's voice from the door and both Regina and Robin looked over at him and Roland with a smile.

"Yey! I told you she would papa!" Roland said happily bouncing over to the bed and jumping up onto it again. Henry followed him and climbed up onto her bed and crawled over to where his mother sat.

"Things are going to be good now mom." Henry said. "You finally won your happy ending."

Regina smiled and she wrapped her arms around all her boys. She was happy finally. The darkness within her was gone and she could finally grab onto her happy ending and hold on tight. She had love and lightness in her life and she was not about to let that go.


End file.
